Jon Singer Highlights Issues : At a time when the music industry is rapidly evolving, the conversation around songwriter compensation remains more critical than ever. In a recent feature by Billboard, Spirit Music Group Chairman Jon Singer addressed one of the most pressing challenges facing the independent music publishing community: the outdated system that governs U.S. mechanical royalty rates.
“The biggest matter in front of us,” Singer says, “is the upcoming [Copyright Royalty Board] fight, which will determine U.S. mechanical royalty rates for publishers in the future. Songwriter royalties should not be determined by an antiquated, 100-year-old system.”
This statement underscores a key truth about the state of the industry. While digital platforms and streaming services have revolutionized how music is consumed and monetized, the mechanisms that decide how much creators are paid have struggled to keep up. For independent publishers like Spirit Music Group—and the songwriters they champion—this upcoming Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) proceeding presents both a challenge and an opportunity: a chance to push for reforms that better reflect the realities of today’s music economy.
Singer’s call to action is simple but powerful: ensure that a song’s value is “appropriately recognized” and that the creators behind the music are fairly compensated. At Spirit, this mission is at the core of everything we do. Whether we’re advocating for equitable royalty rates or investing in the next generation of talent, we remain committed to putting songwriters first.
As the CRB proceedings move forward, Spirit Music Group will continue to be an active voice in the fight for fair compensation—working alongside our peers, partners, and policymakers to reshape a system that too often undervalues creativity. Because when songwriters thrive, the entire industry benefits.
Stay tuned as we continue to advocate for real, lasting change—and thank you to Billboard for highlighting the vital conversations that will define the future of music publishing.
