Unionizing the Recording Industry: An Analysis of the Barriers Between Musician Unions and Songwriters

Abstract

Commercial musicians in the United States have faced a long and storied history of exploitation and labor abuses by corporations like record labels and streaming platforms. Despite the active presence of music labor unions and similar organizations in American society, most singers/songwriters within the recording industry still need quality union representation to advocate for improving their labor conditions. Through thorough research and interviews with aspiring recording artists, this paper will analyze the barriers preventing recording artists from collectivizing within the music labor movement and how these issues can be circumvented.