How Do Producers Make Money In The Streaming Era?

Last month, several songwriters and producers spoke out against Spotify for appealing a controversial ruling that would increase royalty rates for songwriters by 44 percent. The open letter, which was signed by big names like Murda Beatz, Babyface, T-Minus, and Ludwig Göransson, reignited a discussion about how the creative forces that work behind the scenes in the music industry make a living in the streaming era.
On this week’s episode of ‘For The Record,’ Genius’ Head of Artist Relations Rob Markman sat down with Grammy-winning producer !llmind and Shade 45 DJ Statik Selektah, who has collaborated with Eminem, Freddie Gibbs, and Joey Bada$$, to delve into the specifics of how producers make money in 2019. Both Statik and !llmind agreed that the days of receiving large upfront fees for a beat are long gone.