Hey Everyone,

I'm writing this message as a frustrated songwriter and producer who's worked professionally with music for 15 years. Something has to change in this broken system.

I live a great life. I can make a living doing what I love, have two beautiful kids, and own an apartment. Still, there have been countless times when I have pushed my body to its limits just to make ends meet each month. I have colleagues, some of the industry's most successful, who still have to take on extra work to survive. Let's not even mention Covid. It shouldn't have to be this way for any of us.

It's not just about me; it's about all of us in the music industry. I really want to change how artists and songwriters are paid. There is so much that can be changed. A song that has generated 10 million streams has generated roughly 8,000 dollars in publishing, whereas it has generated 42,000 dollars in master rights. That's only money generated by streams. Money is clearly being made here, but it needs to be distributed right.

It's so frustrating how record labels almost monopolize control over artists for their own interests, exploiting them at every turn. It's time for creators to receive their fair share of the value they've built. I'm trying to figure out an alternative to challenge the distribution of wealth in the music industry, and I really hope I can get help finding that.

And no, labels are not the only bad guys in this; I understand there's an entire chain. But the system is broken, so instead of collaborating to support each other, everyone's scrambling for the bigger cut. It's the wrong approach from the beginning. We are trying to move people. To make music.

I've spent the last couple of months building a platform to address these issues, and I think I might know a way to favoring the creators first.

But all ideas have flaws. I need help evaluating my work, and I need to understand you, the creators—the artists, the writers, the engineers, and the musicians. I need to understand the essentials. It's not going to be perfect, but I need a road map for where to start.

I've created a survey that I hope will reach enough people to help me validate this idea and make it a reality. I really hope all of you reading this consider taking the time to answer my questions. I've spent a lot of time trying to tailor it to get as much detail as possible into making a more sustainable income for creators a reality.

I'm asking you, as fellow creators, to take just a few minutes to fill out this survey. Your input is crucial in shaping a fairer future for all of us.

I really want to help you live a better life.

Sincerely,

Simon