UMAW
@umaw.bsky.social
UMAW is a 501(c)(4) member-led advocacy group committed to organizing music workers to create a more just music industry, and to join with other workers in the struggle for a better society.
Musicians on the red carpet at the ARIA awards share their day jobs via @buzzfeed.com . Musicians, even those being recognized at major awards shows, are severely underpaid. We need the Living Wage for Musicians Act to get ALL artists paid FAIRLY for our work!
November 21, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Musicians on the red carpet at the ARIA awards share their day jobs via @buzzfeed.com . Musicians, even those being recognized at major awards shows, are severely underpaid. We need the Living Wage for Musicians Act to get ALL artists paid FAIRLY for our work!
The only people who benefit here are the executives of the major labels and AI startups. We need the Living Wage for Musicians Act, which would pay a new streaming royalty ONLY to human musicians, not to corporations making AI slop.
November 20, 2025 at 6:01 PM
The only people who benefit here are the executives of the major labels and AI startups. We need the Living Wage for Musicians Act, which would pay a new streaming royalty ONLY to human musicians, not to corporations making AI slop.
Streaming services think they can act with impunity as they exploit and harm the artists that make their services possible. We need the Living Wage for Musicians Act NOW!
November 20, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Streaming services think they can act with impunity as they exploit and harm the artists that make their services possible. We need the Living Wage for Musicians Act NOW!
Poverty-wage payouts from streaming services, rising costs, lack of affordable housing, predatory label deals, the introduction of AI, and a stagnant minimum wage all helped flatten the music industry.
Meme by @/phishonphilm on IG
Meme by @/phishonphilm on IG
November 18, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Poverty-wage payouts from streaming services, rising costs, lack of affordable housing, predatory label deals, the introduction of AI, and a stagnant minimum wage all helped flatten the music industry.
Meme by @/phishonphilm on IG
Meme by @/phishonphilm on IG
UMAW applauds NYC Comptroller Brad Lander for sending a letter to Spotify condemning the company for its ICE recruitment ads. Lander says that Spotify's relationship with ICE "…threatens the $482 million in shares held by the NYC pension funds.”
November 17, 2025 at 10:39 PM
UMAW applauds NYC Comptroller Brad Lander for sending a letter to Spotify condemning the company for its ICE recruitment ads. Lander says that Spotify's relationship with ICE "…threatens the $482 million in shares held by the NYC pension funds.”
While the US cuts essential benefits and arts & culture get decimated, the Irish government built a permanent UBI program for musicians. A better and more sustainable music industry is possible! US lawmakers must give more public funding for the arts and protect artists and workers.
November 10, 2025 at 4:10 PM
While the US cuts essential benefits and arts & culture get decimated, the Irish government built a permanent UBI program for musicians. A better and more sustainable music industry is possible! US lawmakers must give more public funding for the arts and protect artists and workers.
There’s a new lawsuit against Spotify alleging pay-to-play promotion with their Discovery Mode tool. We need transparency from streaming services and an end to payola - we need the Living Wage for Musicians Act!
November 6, 2025 at 3:36 PM
There’s a new lawsuit against Spotify alleging pay-to-play promotion with their Discovery Mode tool. We need transparency from streaming services and an end to payola - we need the Living Wage for Musicians Act!
Socialism wins! Congrats Mayor @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social 💪 We agree that art is for all, not just the wealthy. We need to take the power back from the big corporations and into the hands of artists!
photo via @thefader.bsky.social
photo via @thefader.bsky.social
November 5, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Socialism wins! Congrats Mayor @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social 💪 We agree that art is for all, not just the wealthy. We need to take the power back from the big corporations and into the hands of artists!
photo via @thefader.bsky.social
photo via @thefader.bsky.social
Psych-rock band Doom Gong has accused NYC venue Cutting Room of intimidation and harassment. Venues and artists are a team for the evening, and should work together to put on a show that’s respectful, fun, and safe. Inappropriate venue experiences like this endanger musicians.
November 3, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Psych-rock band Doom Gong has accused NYC venue Cutting Room of intimidation and harassment. Venues and artists are a team for the evening, and should work together to put on a show that’s respectful, fun, and safe. Inappropriate venue experiences like this endanger musicians.
PROs will accept registrations of partially AI-generated music. We need protections for human artists - we need the LWMA! Big corporations are exploiting musicians at every turn. The Living Wage for Musicians Act specifies that ONLY human artists would receive the new royalty.
November 3, 2025 at 5:26 PM
PROs will accept registrations of partially AI-generated music. We need protections for human artists - we need the LWMA! Big corporations are exploiting musicians at every turn. The Living Wage for Musicians Act specifies that ONLY human artists would receive the new royalty.
Support DC music workers unionizing at 9:30 Club, Atlantis, and The Anthem! Musicians, sign the solidarity letter here: unitehere.jotform.com/252604810555...
October 22, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Support DC music workers unionizing at 9:30 Club, Atlantis, and The Anthem! Musicians, sign the solidarity letter here: unitehere.jotform.com/252604810555...
Spotify and the major labels have teamed up to make what they call “artist-first” generative AI products. Nothing Spotify does is artist-first.
October 17, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Spotify and the major labels have teamed up to make what they call “artist-first” generative AI products. Nothing Spotify does is artist-first.
ICE recruitment ads have been all over streaming services. Artists do not want the places where people find and listen to our work to promote ICE, a racist, corrupt group who kidnap and disappear innocent people. Why the fuck is Spotify running ICE ads?
October 16, 2025 at 5:58 PM
ICE recruitment ads have been all over streaming services. Artists do not want the places where people find and listen to our work to promote ICE, a racist, corrupt group who kidnap and disappear innocent people. Why the fuck is Spotify running ICE ads?
Artists are clear on what we want: fair pay from streaming, no investment in war technology, protections against AI, an end to pro-rata deals, and transparency for artists across all aspects of streaming. Daniel Ek stepping down fulfills zero of those demands.
October 8, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Artists are clear on what we want: fair pay from streaming, no investment in war technology, protections against AI, an end to pro-rata deals, and transparency for artists across all aspects of streaming. Daniel Ek stepping down fulfills zero of those demands.
UMAW’s own @joeyquits.bsky.social has a new piece in @jacobinmagazin.bsky.social about the grassroots Maine Music Alliance campaign to stop Live Nation in Portland, ME 💪
October 6, 2025 at 3:04 PM
UMAW’s own @joeyquits.bsky.social has a new piece in @jacobinmagazin.bsky.social about the grassroots Maine Music Alliance campaign to stop Live Nation in Portland, ME 💪
Reposted by UMAW
We have many great images from the @umaw.bsky.social event in DC on Monday, but this has got to be my favorite - Alexia Roditis of Destroy Boys with Rep Rashida Tlaib (and an amused Yasmin Williams looking on)
October 1, 2025 at 11:29 AM
We have many great images from the @umaw.bsky.social event in DC on Monday, but this has got to be my favorite - Alexia Roditis of Destroy Boys with Rep Rashida Tlaib (and an amused Yasmin Williams looking on)
Reposted by UMAW
Reposted by UMAW
very fortunate to see julia holter and damon krukowski (galaxie 500) cover joni mitchell’s “you turn me on, i’m a radio” at last night’s @umaw.bsky.social benefit!
if you’ve got the bandwidth, tell your lawmakers to support the Living Wage for Musicians Act: weareumaw.org/make-streami...
if you’ve got the bandwidth, tell your lawmakers to support the Living Wage for Musicians Act: weareumaw.org/make-streami...
September 30, 2025 at 6:05 PM
very fortunate to see julia holter and damon krukowski (galaxie 500) cover joni mitchell’s “you turn me on, i’m a radio” at last night’s @umaw.bsky.social benefit!
if you’ve got the bandwidth, tell your lawmakers to support the Living Wage for Musicians Act: weareumaw.org/make-streami...
if you’ve got the bandwidth, tell your lawmakers to support the Living Wage for Musicians Act: weareumaw.org/make-streami...
Reposted by UMAW
We took it to DC! With Alexia Roditis, Julia Holter, @lizpelly.bsky.social @joeyquits.bsky.social singing and talking to elected officials (photo in @repraskin office); thrillriding the Capitol subway; celebrating the reintroduction of the Living Wage for Musicians Act with @umaw.bsky.social at DC9
September 30, 2025 at 2:31 PM
We took it to DC! With Alexia Roditis, Julia Holter, @lizpelly.bsky.social @joeyquits.bsky.social singing and talking to elected officials (photo in @repraskin office); thrillriding the Capitol subway; celebrating the reintroduction of the Living Wage for Musicians Act with @umaw.bsky.social at DC9
UMAW is in DC for the reintroduction of the Living Wage for Musicians Act! 💪 @reprashida.govpeeps.us
September 29, 2025 at 7:45 PM
UMAW is in DC for the reintroduction of the Living Wage for Musicians Act! 💪 @reprashida.govpeeps.us
The Onion doesn’t miss. We need the Living Wage for Musicians Act NOW!
September 28, 2025 at 5:18 PM
The Onion doesn’t miss. We need the Living Wage for Musicians Act NOW!
Thank you @reprashida.govpeeps.us for fighting for artists! We need the Living Wage for Musicians Act 💪
September 27, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Thank you @reprashida.govpeeps.us for fighting for artists! We need the Living Wage for Musicians Act 💪
This headline sounds good, but Spotify is also claiming that their new policy of not paying ANYTHING to songs that get under 1000 streams is part of their fight against AI. It’s not — it’s exploitation of the small artists on their platform. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/s...
Spotify removes 75m spam tracks in past year as AI increases ability to make fake music
Streamer to crack down on AI-generated spam by introducing filter to identify fraudulent uploads
www.theguardian.com
September 25, 2025 at 7:11 PM
This headline sounds good, but Spotify is also claiming that their new policy of not paying ANYTHING to songs that get under 1000 streams is part of their fight against AI. It’s not — it’s exploitation of the small artists on their platform. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/s...