Songwriter Sam Barsh, who has worked with major artists like Kendrick Lamar, Wiz Khalifa, and Logic, recently shared his streaming royalty earnings, revealing surprisingly low compensation figures for hit songs.

Notable earnings examples:

• Kendrick Lamar's "Institutionalized" (To Pimp A Butterfly): Less than $20,000 (12% share) for a Platinum, Grammy-winning album
• Anderson .Paak's "Malibu" album tracks: Less than $5,000 total (16.66% share per song) for a Gold-certified, Grammy-nominated album
• Logic's "Black Spiderman": Less than $2,000
• Aloe Blacc's "The Man": Around $200,000 (8.5% share) over 5 years, primarily due to download sales in 2013

Barsh explains the low earnings are primarily due to streaming's poor payouts, comparing it to a doctor's salary dropping from $400,000 to $60,000 after years of education and training.

Key takeaways:

• Production work typically pays significantly more than songwriting royalties
• Streaming provides exposure but offers minimal compensation for songwriters
• Barsh encourages songwriters to join SONA and Recording Academy to advocate for better compensation
• Despite low payouts, streaming is "here to stay," requiring adaptation from industry professionals

While Barsh maintains positive relationships with his collaborators, publishers, and management team, he emphasizes that streaming royalties for publishing remain notably low, creating challenges for songwriters' sustainable careers.

These figures highlight the ongoing debate about fair compensation in the music streaming era and the need for industry-wide reform in songwriter payments.

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