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Founded 1967

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International Songwriters Association

Fewer Songwriters Make Money


Limerick City, Ireland

Latest figures show that an increasingly smaller percentage of "published songwriters" (perhaps as low as 5%), are making enough money to be able to devote themselves full-time to songwriting.

Although the music business is thriving, songwriter earnings are falling behind because the modern music economy has been prioritising recording ownership, performance income, and broader media presence - areas where performers, not behind-the-scenes writers, dominate. The legal structure of royalty payouts also heavily favours the recorded work over the underlying composition.

The music industry may be booming, but songwriter earnings are declining, even though the songwriter provides the fundamental creative work behind the song.

To find out how royalties are calculated and distributed, click on
How Much Money Does A Songwriter Make? or click on the blue ISA button below for a list of all the pages on the ISA site.

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The Small Print

This International Songwriters Association 1967 site is a non-profit non-commercial re-creation of portions of the full site originally published by the International Songwriters Association Limited, and will introduce you to the world of songwriting. It will explain music business terms and help you understand the business concepts that you should be familiar with, thus enabling you to ask more pertinent questions when you meet with your accountant/CPA or solicitor/lawyer.

However, although this website includes general information about legal issues and legal developments as well as accounting issues and accounting developments, it is not meant to be a replacement for professional advice. Such materials are for informational purposes only and may not reflect the most current legal/accounting developments.

Every effort has been made to make this site as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied. The information provided is on an "as is" basis and the author(s) and the publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained on this site. No steps should be taken without first seeking competent legal and/or accounting advice

Some pictures on this site are library images supplied by (amongst others) the ISA International Songwriters Association (1967), International Songwriters Association Limited, Dreamstime Library Inc, BMI (Broadcast Music Inc), ASCAP (American Society Of Songwriters, Authors and Publishers), PRS (Performing Rights Society), PPS (Professional Photographic Services), RTE (Radio Telefis Eireann) TV3, and various Public Relations organisations. Other pictures have been supplied by the songwriters, performers, or music business executives interviewed or mentioned throughout this website, while certain pictures are commercial stock footage of businesses and office environments generally, rather than specific images of the ISA, its personnel, facilities or members.

In any event, all images are and remain the property of the individual owners unless indicated to the contrary.

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