The business of creating music is ever-changing, and the present is no different. The music industry is evolving rapidly, as the Recording Academy's 2024 Songwriters & Composers Wing Town Hall attests.

To explore these changes, the Recording Academy's Songwriters & Composers Wing, in collaboration with our Washington, D.C.-based Advocacy & Public Policy team, yesterday held A Songwriters & Composers Town Hall - Threats & Opportunities for the Songwriting Community, an industry learning event that explored the evolving trends, emerging opportunities and potential challenges within the craft and industry of songwriting and composing across four insightful panels.

As industry leaders within the craft of songwriting, the Songwriters & Composers Wing launched in March 2021 during the 2021 GRAMMYs to advocate for and support all songwriters and composers within the Recording Academy's membership and the industry at large. The Wing's 2024 Town Hall brought these issues to the forefront, examining the current state of the industry and informing the songwriting and composing community about the path ahead.

These vital music industry issues will be further discussed on Music Advocacy Day 2024 on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Music Advocacy Day, the largest grassroots music advocacy effort in the nation, has affected policy change and positively benefited the creators, artists and industry professionals who power the music industry.

Here are four key lessons from A Songwriters & Composers Town Hall - Threats & Opportunities for the Songwriting Community.

Stay Present & Build Relationships With Publishing Companies

In a helpful, wide-ranging conversation, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. and publishing attorney Guy Blake, a Partner at Granderson Des Rochers, LLP, provided new writers with advice on negotiating publishing deals. They were advised to make a long-term business plan for what they want from a publishing deal — financially and otherwise. The Opportunities For Songwriters panel also discussed industry tips, including building in bonuses for hits.

In the era of AI, Mason jr. and Blake both advised songwriters and composers to stay present and build relationships with their publishing companies. Artists should share specific goals about where they want their music to go.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting money," Blake assured. "Unlike a lot of deals in our industry, a music publishing advance, if you will, is one of the few pieces of money that actually goes into your pocket. In a recording agreement, a lot of that money is used in the budget. So it's OK to use a publishing deal as a way of banking up. But know what you're going to do with that money, know how you're going to reinvest that money into your career." And don't forget to pay your taxes, he added.

Self-Advocate With The Help Of The MLC

Susan Stewart, Sr. Managing Director of the Songwriters & Composers Wing, and Ruby Amanfu, a two-time GRAMMY-nominated songwriter and member of the Wing's Leadership Council, interviewed Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) CEO Kris Ahrend about the importance of self-advocacy and discussed the nonprofit organization's resources. Stewart and Amanfu asked why creators — including those who serve as self-administered publishers — should connect with The MLC, which advocates for creators' rights and fair compensation.

"We probably have money for you!" Ahrend noted as one of the most important reasons.

A matching tool on The MLC website allows songwriters to search for paid uses of their work that they may not know about, such as on a streaming service, and then make a claim to get paid. Making sure personal data is updated and correct with publishers, or as self-publishers, can help facilitate payments.

"Songwriters need to get on there and start matching!" said Amanfu, who has co-written GRAMMY-nominated songs by H.E.R. and Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile. She found funds owed to her by using The MLC's tool.

In May, The MLC filed a lawsuit against Spotify alleging that the streaming company is allegedly underpaying royalties to songwriters and publishers.

"It is really imperative for The MLC to take action in situations like this," Ahrend said.

Fighting The "War Against Songwriters" With The NMPA

Todd Dupler, Chief Advocacy & Public Policy Officer for the Recording Academy, and David Israelite, president and CEO of the National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA), continued the legal discussion in the A Conversation With The NMPA panel. The pair explained how songwriters are impacted by changes to streaming royalties and songwriter payouts and what they can do to push back. Unlike record labels and artists — both of which can negotiate their value to a streaming service — songwriters are paid a rate regulated by federal law. As a result, any changes in the wrong direction will hit songwriters harder.

The NMPA is fighting what Israelite called "a declaration of war against songwriters" by filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against Spotify which recently changed its payout calculations to the detriment of songwriters. The complaint was filed with 10 U.S. states with strong consumer protection laws, which NMPA believes were violated; separately, the NMPA has called on Congress to take a "fresh look" at this government-set compensation system.

"This is not a company that cares about songwriters or how they feel, so they're not going to change their course of action," Israelite said of streaming services such as Spotify. "If they can save $150 million, they're gonna do it — unless their hand is forced."

Know Your Strengths & Power As A Songwriter

Anyone in the music business, aspiring or otherwise, would benefit from advice from Julian Bunetta and Steph Jones, multi-genre songwriters/producers who co-wrote Sabrina Carpenter's inescapable summer hit "Espresso." They joined the Recording Academy's Susan Stewart and Todd Dupler in the A Conversation With Songwriters panel to share their most practical wisdom for new songwriters.

"I would first remind yourself of why you like doing what you're doing," said Jones, who has also written songs for Kelsea Ballerini, Pink, Selena Gomez, and Little Big Town. "Because I think that will carry you through a lot of hard times if you stay connected to why it is you're doing this in the first place."

Jones also emphasized the importance of being a strong team member. "Really hone in on what your strength is in the room … Learn how to serve a writing room."

Bunetta, a member of the Songwriters & Composers Wing's Leadership Council who has also written songs for the likes of Harry Styles, Teddy Swims, One Direction, and Thomas Rhett, said that his father always told him that it isn't "who you know — it's who you avoid."

"You have to do your due diligence and understand what songwriting is, how you get paid," he said. "If you were playing basketball, you would know the rules, wouldn't you?"

Jones thinks the biggest mistake a songwriter can make is not understanding their own power — or thinking a tide of popularity is endless. "Every wave you ride, it lands again," she said.

Watch the A Songwriters & Composers Town Hall - Threats & Opportunities for the Songwriting Community in full below.