Songwriters, we want to hear from you! Raise your voice in MIDiA’s new survey

Last year, MIDiA’s inaugural songwriter survey uncovered an alarming statistic: 67% of songwriters name “lack of meaningful streaming income” as their biggest challenge. More alarming yet is the fact that this remained the most common challenge for songwriters in our survey across income levels and tenure, even as other challenges – such as breaking through the noise – diminished. 

What does this tell us? No matter how hard they work, how many hits they make, and how “successful” their career looks on paper, many songwriters are still struggling to earn a living in the streaming era. 

This is especially concerning given that the majority of songwriters surveyed were also performing artists or producers, yet this crucial part of their work is going under-served.

Our survey also revealed steps songwriters are taking to change that. Most importantly, they are establishing songwriting income streams that do not revolve around royalties, such as selling their skills as works-for-hire through marketplaces like Soundbetter and Fiverr. They are also focusing on building brands and fanbases around their songwriting, defying long-held industry assumptions that 1. Songwriters prefer remaining behind-the-scenes and 2. Listeners are not interested in the stories of songwriters. 

More and more writers are stepping out of the shadows and sharing the lore behind their work. Survey results revealed this to be true across generations and career stages, and this is reflected everywhere – from newer voices sharing their stories on TikTok, like Bailey Flores, to up-and-comers like Gracie Abrams’ writing partner Audrey Hobert, and stars like Benny Blanco, whose recent “Behind the Wall” episode is like a history of modern pop.

MIDiA’s second annual songwriter survey is now open globally HERE. This year, we are turning up the volume, going deeper into the trends uncovered last time – diversified revenue streams and the role of social media – as well as venturing into the creation process. The intent is simple: by understanding songwriters’ goals and challenges, we can uncover solutions and services that will help them succeed, and share these insights with the industry players who need to hear it most.

What are the benefits for songwriters who take part?

• Have your voice heard – results will be shared with MIDiA's client base of leading global publishers, collections agencies, songwriter service companies, and more
• Get early access to a summary of the survey results – compare your career benchmarks with others in the industry
• Finally, we are giving four lucky participants each a $500 voucher to sweeten the deal

MIDiA will follow up last year’s landmark songwriter report with the new edition, based on the results of this year’s survey, in July 2025. If you are interested in learning more about this project and / or getting involved, reach out to tatiana@midiaresearch.com.