If it can be difficult to keep up with artists’ rights in the news, that goes double for music. Fortunately, there are some incredible artists who devote as much energy and passion to rights advocacy as they to do making music—and among those individuals is Blake Morgan. Singer/songwriter, recording artist, indie label owner, and producer, Blake epitomizes the hard-working, middle-class artist—grateful to make music for a living, but still a guy with a mortgage and bills to pay. In this podcast interview, Blake and I discuss the major threats he sees to artists’ rights and why he keeps fighting the good fight. And to say the least, his optimism is infectious. Hope you enjoy!
Photo by: Taylor Ballantyne
Episode Contents
- 02:37 – Why I fight for artists rights.
- 07:22 – The biggest threats facing artists.
- 11:52 – The American Music Fairness Act
- 16:27 – Dying of “exposure.”
- 18:40 – A middle-class face on the cause.
- 24:00 – Spotify’s “big payouts” to artists.
- 30:00 – Support for the TikTok legislation.
- 36:10 – Private equity investment in music catalogs.
- 45:00 – The VanGogh diversion.
- 46:10 – Advice to the next generation.
- 50:11 – The latest album Violent Delights.
Articles/Posts Cited:
Spotify “Loud & Clear” Payout Report
“Same Old Song: Private Equity is Destroying Our Music Ecosystem” by Marc Hogan
Trichordist Guest Post: “A musician’s View of the TikTok legislation” by Blake Morgan
