United Musicians and Allied Workers recently spearheaded the Make Streaming Pay initiative, demanding fairer revenue split for artists using platforms including Spotify and Apple Music. The campaign is behind a new Living Wage For Musicians Bill, which was introduced to US congress in March and aims to “ensure that artists and musicians can build sustainable careers in the digital age”. You can find out more about this here. 

While political and public pressure for better royalty payments grows, Spotify is looking to bring in more revenue to plug its own shortfall. Since going public on the stock market in 2018, the company has lost money every year. Just this week, it was reported that the streaming giant has confirmed intentions to revise and increase its pricing.

Between $1 and $2 will be added to monthly bills for customers in several territories, including the UK, Australia, and Pakistan, Bloomburg reports. This is said to cover the cost of audiobooks, added to the platform late-2023. More recently, video learning content was introduced to further diversify the offering. A new basic tier package will be rolled out for those who do not want to access audiobooks, the first of several updated pricing options. This news led to a 4.6% jump in Spotify’s share value, although it’s unclear what the long-term impact will be.