NEW Songwriter survey 2025 | Reinvention
In the age of streaming, social media, and creator platforms, the definition of “songwriter” is changing fast. MIDiA’s second annual songwriter report reveals how today’s writers are breaking the mold and building careers on their own terms.
📊 Based on survey of 776 songwriters worldwide, plus exclusive interviews, the report sheds light on the challenges and new business models shaping songwriting today.
Roughly one in five songwriters say building a social media brand is among their top goals for this year.
For many, success is no longer defined by awards or hits. Instead, achieving creative fulfilment and earning a living top the list
Yet 61% of songwriters are not signed up to a mechanical rights organisation (MRO)
"Similar to the trend MIDiA’s bifurcation theory has identified among artists, today’s songwriters have moved on from realising that the current business model does not work from them – and begun the work of building their own.
The songwriters we surveyed and interviewed reflect a wide range of new business structures, many existing outside of traditional rights frameworks, with creator marketplaces and social platforms playing a growing role."
Songwriter Survey 2025
Songwriters face many of the same issues as artists - and are often doubly impacted by them.
So, songwriters are reinventing what their role entails.
Unlike the traditional image of a behind-the-scenes, non-performing songwriter, today's writers are increasingly building brands and fanbases around their songwriting, picking up more skills (such as production or singing), and selling their skills on works-for-hire marketplaces.
Building on MIDiA's inaugural 2024 edition, this report leverages survey data from close to 800 songwriters, as well as qualitative interviews with respondents.
It presents a nuanced picture of how the next generation of songwriters are building their businesses - and the ripple effect on not just the publishing industry, but the recording industry as well.
“I don't look to streaming as my solution”: Hear from two songwriters about their challenges and perspectives on the industry
In 2024, MIDiA published its first-ever songwriter report, shining a spotlight on the evolving role of songwriters in the modern music industry. Based on a groundbreaking survey of more than 300 songwriters, this report unlocked early insight into the income struggles, creative ambitions, and systemic challenges facing songwriters worldwide.
🎧 Did you know 67% of songwriters in 2024 said that “lack of meaningful streaming income” was their biggest challenge?
This landmark study helped lay the foundation for deeper research into how publishing and songwriting need to evolve in the digital age. It continues to be a valuable reference for publishers, creators, and industry stakeholders.
Explore more reports from MIDiA Research
The streaming era upended the already-fraught business of being a songwriter, pushing songwriters to secure new revenue streams and better deal terms. While the recorded music industry has responded to similar shifts with a flourishing artist services market, the same is not true for songwriters.
Thus far, the 2020s has been a good decade for the music publishing industry. Revenues have continued to grow, streaming royalty rates have improved – spurred by favourable royalty rates board rulings in the US – and institutional investment has flowed into publishing catalogues, even after risi...
The music creator economy has been slowly developing but was thrust into the spotlight by a surge of new creators during the Covid lockdowns. As with any bubble, it eventually burst; many creator tools companies saw the ensuing surge flatten post-lockdown.
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