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WHEREAS, the City of Pittsburgh has taken steps to support local musicians through conducting research on the music industry, passing venue support proposals, and providing relief for artists during COVID-19; and,
WHEREAS, the current streaming service structure has allowed for only the top tier percentage of streaming musicians to reap financial success, and;
WHEREAS, this inability to pay musicians adequately has had an adverse impact on regional economies, resulting in musicians not being able to afford to tour which has negatively impacted touring industry professionals and independent venues who cannot sustain paying premium guarantees to larger acts, recording studios and recording industry professionals, and;
WHEREAS, the recorded music industry receives an estimated 84% of its revenue from digital streaming; and,
WHEREAS, many musicians are undervalued and receive fairly little compensation, and;
WHEREAS, the music industry ecosystem as of right now is unsustainable as musicians are unable to make a living wage, and;
WHEREAS, digital streaming music services provided to the public are affordable due to a tiered payment system which largely disenfranchises mid to lower tier musicians, and;
WHEREAS, in the year 2025 there has been legislation re-introduced and received in the House by Representative Rashida Tlaib called the Living Wage for Musicians Act which ensures that musicians receive one cent per stream instead of 0.003 cents (1/333rd of a cent) per stream, and;
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NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Pittsburgh City Council affirms its support for musicians to receive a minimum of one cent per stream from digital streaming services as well as advocates for other similar legislation that supports fair compensation for streaming only applicable to human creators; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh hereby calls upon Congress to act with urgency and pass the Living Wage for Musicians Act during the 2027 legislative house session.