Save Music, Save the Archive!

Over 350 musicians are speaking out to demand that major labels drop a lawsuit aimed to destroy the Internet Archive—and for their industry to take concrete actions to realign their actions with the interests of working artists. Sign their open letter now to show your support.

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Take action as a music fan or Internet Archive supporter

Musicians for Fairness & Preservation Open Letter

It’s time for the music industry to support the artistic legacies and futures of working musicians—not shareholder profits.

We, the undersigned musicians, wholeheartedly oppose major record labels’ unjust lawsuit targeting the Internet Archive, a crucial non profit cultural institution. We don’t believe that the Internet Archive should be destroyed in our name. The biggest players of our industry clearly need better ideas for supporting us, the artists, and in this letter we are offering them.

By 2031, music industry revenues will exceed 100 billion dollars, yet the average musician is struggling to survive. We’re priced out of touring by LiveNation’s abusive monopolies, and screwed over on royalties as big labels profit from Spotify’s unfair streaming revenue model.

Music is demonetized and censored by DSPs, sued off the Internet Archive by major labels, and physical archives have gone up in flames because of corporate profiteering. It’s no surprise that mental health is a crisis among musicians—we’re sick with worry wondering if anything will be left of our life’s work.

The music industry is not struggling anymore. Only musicians are. We demand a course-correction now, focused on the legacies and futures of working musicians. We call on all record labels, streaming platforms, ticketing outlets, and venues to immediately align on the following goals:

1. Protect our diverse music legacy.

The music industry has a moral imperative to keep its history archived, but we can’t trust it to do so. Old records are falling to pieces, and without proper digital preservation, they’ll be gone for good. The masters of big money-making recordings are going up in flames, and lesser-known musicians are even more vulnerable to erasure.

Incredible music and culture is getting lost forever, even though we have the technology to preserve it. Thanks to the nonprofit Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, almost half a million MTV News articles were spared permanent deletion. But when their Great 78 Project rescued over 400,000 recordings, major labels responded with a lawsuit against the Internet Archive for research library streams of old vinyl records. Going back to the opening of the library in 2006, the suit seeks $621,300,000 in damages. In Spotify bucks, $621,300,000 is 261 billion streams—wildly higher than the “millions” of research library streams alleged in the lawsuit. When songs streamed 10 million times would only pay out $23,800, we have to wonder how much our music is really worth.

Artists and labels alike should partner with valuable cultural stewards like the Internet Archive—not sue them. It’s time to support nonprofit music preservation to ensure that our music and our stories aren’t lost to history.

2. Invest in living, working musicians–not back catalogs or monopolies.

In 2022, music rights was a 40 billion dollar business. But a disproportionate cut of those billions are made by private equity exploiting the back catalogs of legacy musicians, many of whom are no longer living. Working artists took home as little as 12% of music industry revenue, even before COVID decimated touring. Meanwhile CEOs hire lawyers, publicists, and lobbyists to convince the public that music is essentially worthless.

At the same time, we’re shut out of sharing in today’s historic highs in live concert revenue. Musicians, including big-name artists like Lorde and Animal Collective, shouldn’t lose money self-funding tours that cost 40% more post-pandemic. This exploitation comes at the hands of monopolies double-dipping into both ticketing and venue income, and gravely harms the workers and independent live music spaces that also comprise the touring ecosystem.

Venues and ticketing retailers must set a precedent to ensure that artists get a fairer deal, including keeping 100% of merchandise sales, as suggested by the Featured Artist Coalition & United Musicians and Allied Workers’ #MyMerch campaign. We need transparent ticketing practices that prioritize income for artists and clarity for fans, so that live music work can actually make artists a living.

3. Make streaming services pay fair compensation.

The music industry must put musicians before big tech. Lobbyist organizations should redirect their power into making the government appropriately tax streaming platforms to fund artists, rather than side with monopolistic corporate players.

Recently, representatives Rashida Tlaib and Jamaal Bowman introduced the Living Wage for Musicians Act in partnership with United Musicians and Allied Workers to fight for fair pay in streaming. 30,000 working musicians and counting also signed onto UMAW’s #JusticeatSpotify campaign, demanding similar goals of fair compensation from DSPs. Artists have clearly voiced concern that the numbers aren’t adding up in our favor.

Major labels must put forth a public plan with a concrete timeline to end their vertical investment in platforms like Spotify, whose CEO Daniel Ek profits more in one year than Taylor Swift has in her lifetime. The music we make today is valuable, and it’s time for the industry to treat it that way and invest in working musicians by paying fair royalties for streams.

We demand that the music industry stop treating the history and future of musicians as expendable. Thanks to many self-organized groups and collectives, music workers are better organized now than at any other point in history. The inequity that permeates the lives of working artists, in all media, will end. Through the collective power of artists and those that love our work, we will build a sustainable future where our wellbeing and dignity come first.

The music industry cannot survive without musicians. The only way it can continue is with immediate and sustained action to protect artists’ futures, and the long-term preservation of their works. We implore our labels, our agents, our publishers, and our venues to stand with us in demanding fairness for the artists on which this industry is built.

Sincerely,

Tegan and Sara Quin
Amanda Palmer
Beats Antique
Billie Marten
Brian Aubert (Silversun Pickups)
CAMP COPE
Caroline Rose
Carsie Blanton
diiv
Merrill Garbus (Tune-Yards)
MICHAEL TRAVIS (The String Cheese Incident)
Open Mike Eagle
Topshelf Records
A Place To Bury Strangers
Adult Mom
AJJ (Sean Bonnette)
Algiers
Allie Goertz
Anjimile
Arrington de Dionyso
B. Dolan
Backxwash
Baths
Ben Lee
Big Joanie
Boyscott
Chastity Belt
Cloud Nothings
Cristy Road Carrera
cumgirl8
Cursive
Daedelus
David Grubbs
Deerhoof
Dirtwire
Disq
DJ Max
Eve 6
Franz Nicolay (the Hold Steady)
Gabriel Kahane
Georgia Maq
Great Grandpa
James Holden
Jeffrey Lewis
Jim Cosgrove
John-Allison Weiss
Julia Holter
Kathleen Hanna
Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo)
Kimya Dawson
Kindness
Kitty Ray
Lovefingers
Lower Dens
Macie Stewart (Finom)
Marcus Visionary
MARY LATTIMORE
Matt Mahaffey (sElf)
Michael DeForge
Murder By Death
Nick Reinhart
Noah Kittinger (Bedroom)
Pile
Pinkshift
Radiator Hospital
Real Estate
Remember Sports
Rhett Miller
Riobamba
Rollie Pemberton (Cadence Weapon)
SAMMUS
Sarah Tudzin (Illuminati Hotties)
Shawna Potter (War On Women)
Silverback Music
Speedy Ortiz
Spencer Tweedy
Subsonic Eye
Suzy Shinn
Sweeping Promises
Ted Leo
Tunic
Ushka
Xiu Xiu (Jamie Stewart)
YACHT
ZAH
Ziemba
(T-T)b
5-Track / Trash Panda Go Kart / Beyond Captain Orca!
A. Campbell Payne
Abhishek
absinthe father
Adam WaylonFingers Fridley
Agnar
Al Menne
Alanza
Alex Bleeker
Alex Heigl
Alex Mendoza
Alli With An I
Allison & Moon
Amar Lal
Amber capwell
Amy Cadence
Amy O
Amy Rose Spiegel
Anaïs
Andrew Weathers
Andy Molholt
Animal Hospital
Anne Boccato
Anthony Richards
Aram Sinnreich
Arandel
Asaran Earth Trio
Audrey Zee Whitesides
Awaclus
AWKWORD
Babe Report
Bastard Salt
Baywitch
Bedroom
Ben Coleman
Big Ups
Biitchseat
Bit Shifter
Blue Smiley
Blunderspublik
Blunderspublik
Boygirlfriends
Brackish
Brian Kehew
Bug Bites
Bummer camp
Burst Open
Cal Churchill
Calvin Johnson
Carolyn Kendrick
Carrie L
Casey Dienel (fka White Hinterland)
Casey Neill
Casper Skulls
Cat Mahatta
Cave Babies
Choppy Oppy
Chris Sand
Christians & Lions
Christopher Santiago
Chromatic Destruction
Chrxstal Sarah
Cicada Rhythm
Clear Channel
Clementine Was Right
Cognitive Fungus Productions, LLC
Couch Slut
Crawl Spaces
Crooked Roots Bassist
Curious Quail
Curt Castle
Daniel Bachman
Daniel J. Penzer
Dave Godowsky
Dave Purcell of Radio Free ABQ
David Lunch
David Lunch
debt
Del Paxton
Devon Welsh
Disco Doom
Divine Decadence
Doc Allen
Dog Man Pizza Party
don’t
Don’t do it, Neil
dot NET
Dots and Lines
Dots Will Echo
Drew Daniel, Matmos / The Soft Pink Truth
Dunia & Aram
Ekko Astral
Eleni Maltas
Eli Winter
Elise Maciol
ella guro
Ellie Hedge
Em Foster (Nervus)
Emman Alavata
Emo Sea Monster
EpZ
Equinox Deschanel (Joe McMahon)
Equinox Deschanel (Joe McMahon)
Eric Madis
Erin Tonkon
EVAC (Jeremy Goldstein)
Faithful
Feel Good Fiesta
Francesca Koechler
Funk It Blog
Gabriella Raelyn
George Sarah
Georgia West
Giselle Gabrielle Garcia
Gladie
Gordon Moakes
Grass Is Green
Grass Is Green
Greg Obis (Stuck)
Grocer
GUPPY
Hailen Jackson
Haunted Gypsy
HCM
Heavens Club
Heligoats
homer errektos
Hour
Houtakker
i give my friends flowers
Interior Geometry
Iron Curtain (The Chiptunes one)
Isa Burke
Isa Burke
Isa Suarez
Isabella&Sebastian
Izzy True
J. Mamana
J.W.
Jasper Jones
Jessica Boudreaux (Summer Cannibals)
Jim Nielsen
Jitensha
Joanie Calem
Jodi / N. Levine
Joe DeGeorge
Joe DeGeorge
Jolie Holland
JorDat
Jordyn Blakely
Josh Hou
Josh Lee
Judith Ackerman
Katherine Dines DBA Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta Music
Kathleen Childs
Ken Vandermar
Kimaya Diggs
Landlady
Lara Ruggles
Latelife
Leor Miller
Les Manivelles
Lilah Larson
Lilah Larson
Lisa Prank
Liz Hogg
Lizzie No
Macro Sound
Madam X
Mal Devisa
Mamalarky
MAN LEE
Mari Mennel-Bell
Marilyn Walker
Mark Reback
Matt Scottoline / Hurry
Maurice Tani
meemo comma
Mel Stone
Melinda Rice
Melkbelly
meow meow fuzzyface
Microcosms
Mike Caridi / Double Double Whammy
Mimi Page
Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn
Mister Goblin
Monkoora
Moon By Moon
Mr. Atomic
Mutual Benefit
Nadia Garofalo
Nate Bergman
Nice Bike
No Joy
NYS Music
Odetta Hartman
Oux
Painted Zeros
Paper Bee
Park Hopper
Park Hopper
Partner
Pasha
Pat Lamanna
Paul Kaplan
Penfriend
Pete Mason – NYS Music
Peter Bergel
Peter O. Childs
Pictoria Vark
Pinch Points
Pinkwash
Piper Street Sound
Planning For Burial
poolblood
prior panic
Puppy Angst
Radio Nowhere
Rebecca Ryskalczyk
Rituals of Mine
Rivulets
Robby Lake
Roger M Deering
ron like hell
Sailor Boyfriend
Sailor Sol
Sam Farzin
Samfl3
Samira Winter
Sanyu Estelle
Sayveeyun
Sayveeyun
Sean Neumann (Jupiter Styles, Ratboys)
Shady Bug
Shiro
Sobs
Spacemoth
Spencer Compton
Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown, Moonface, Swan Lake)
Spike Maiden Müller
spooky action labs
Steve Salvi
Stormland
Straight Edge Punks Cooperative Entertainment
Suburban John
Summerbruise
summerbruise
Sunik Kim
Suzie True
Taina Asili
Tashi Wada
Tess Roby
Thais Ruiz de Alda
The Blow
The Blunt Force Trauma
The Curls
The Homobiles
The Tender Hearts
The Tender Hearts
TRAGWAG
Two of a Kind (David & Jenny Heitler-Klevans)
Undertow Brass Band
Valerie Smalkin
Valyri Sheffner Harris
Vast Asteroid
Victor Maxwell
Victoria Marie Ruiz, Downtown Boys
vitaminsforyou
Warren C. Longmire
Washer
Weems
Weeping Icon
Wendy Eisenberg
Wesley Stace
Wilder Maker
William Hazard
Yours Are The Only Ears
Zach Jackson
ZENIZEN