ARTISTIC ADVOCATES

Making Sure Musicians Get a Fair Shake Via Blockchain

GEORGE HOWARD

DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR, BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC

THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN a gulf between the few musicians who make it big and the many, many others who have to do something else to pay the bills. That was true in the days of Mozart, who died in debt. It was true in the golden age of rock music, when record companies promoted a few stars like The Beatles and Michael Jackson. And it’s still true in the age of Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming services, when most musicians get pennies for their work.

“If you’re on Spotify right now, listening to my band, you’d have to stream one of our songs 786 times for me to be