Successful songwriter Sam Barsh, known for working with Kendrick Lamar, Wiz Khalifa, and Logic, recently shared his streaming royalty earnings, revealing surprisingly low figures from major hits.

Here's what Barsh earned from his songwriting credits:

• Kendrick Lamar's "Institutionalized" (12% share) - Less than $20,000
• Anderson .Paak's "Heart Don't Stand a Chance" and "Your Prime" (16.66% share each) - Less than $5,000 total
• Logic's "Black Spiderman" - Less than $2,000
• Aloe Blacc's "The Man" (8.5% share) - Nearly $200,000 over 5 years

The significant difference in earnings between Aloe Blacc's song and the others is attributed to its 2013 release when digital downloads were still popular, compared to today's streaming-dominated market.

Barsh explains the situation using a medical career analogy: imagine studying to become a doctor, only to find the expected $400,000 salary has dropped to $60,000 upon graduation. While he acknowledges streaming's benefits for artist exposure and touring opportunities, he maintains that streaming royalties for songwriters remain inadequately low.

Despite later retracting his original post, Barsh encourages songwriters to:

• Join SONA and Recording Academy to advocate for better compensation
• Continue writing songs despite low streaming payouts
• Adapt to streaming as it's "here to stay"

The songwriter clarified that his production work generates significantly higher income than songwriting royalties, and he maintains positive relationships with his publishing team and industry collaborators.

This case highlights the ongoing challenges songwriters face in the streaming era, where even contributions to Grammy-winning, platinum-selling albums may not generate substantial income from streaming platforms.

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