Solidarity Under Monopoly and Labor Withdrawal in the Music Industry

This chapter explores the monopolistic power of capital in the music industry creating links between the historical and present-day struggle of musicians against automation. A historical analysis shows how discrete struggles between labor and capital over technology are part of a continuous struggle over the control of the labor process. The chapter begins by tracing the use of recording technology to gain control over the musical labor process from the first early uses in place of live musicians. In the 1930s and 1940s, the American Federation of Musicians, a powerful music union, fought back against the use of recording through escalating actions which culminated in a two-year ban from recording by their members. The union emerged victorious, winning important gains that continue to shape how musicians are paid for their work. The second section explores the looming threat of automation used by streaming platforms. Spotify’s major barrier to profitability is having to pay artists royalties for use of their music. For Spotify, profit is whatever user fees they can retain from artist wages. Music streaming platforms use algorithms to deliver music to listeners based on their mood, activities, interests, and tastes. However, recently, Spotify has rolled out the Discovery Mode program where artists can exchange lower royalty rates for preferable placement in popular playlists. This program means that some music on the platform is more profitable to the platform than others, and that playlist algorithms can drive listeners to more profitable music. These algorithms become drivers of inequality in a race to the bottom that erodes wages for musical labor. Through a critical analysis of the current state of the music industry and the exploitation of labor, the chapter concludes with a call for organized resistance and solidarity among recording artists to challenge the growing power of platforms in the industry.