Last.fm Launches Royalty Program for Unsigned Artists

Last.fm launched today a "groundbreaking" Artist Royalty Program, allowing unsigned musicians to collect royalties when their music is loaded into Last.fm's library and then streamed. Since the announcing the new Royalty Program in January, more than 450,000 tracks by unsigned or independent artists have been uploaded to the site. The artists will receive royalties if their tracks are either randomly streamed or played free-on-demand. "The young musician making music in a bedroom studio has the same chance as the latest major label signing to use Last.fm to build an audience and get rewarded. The Artist Royalty Program is another revolutionary step towards helping musicians take control of their music — and, more importantly, make a living from it," said Last.fm co-founder Martin Stiksel. To sign up and start uploading your music, click here.

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Song Stories

“The A Team”

Ed Sheeran | 2011

This debut track from the then-20-year-old British singer-songwriter has a dark story behind it. Sheeran says he culls songwriting inspiration from "viewing other people's situations," which, for the heroine in "The A Team," involves drug addiction and prostitution that began as a teen. Sheeran paints the woman's trials with haunting imagery such as "But lately her face seems/Slowly sinking, wasting/Crumbling like pastries." "I did a gig at a homeless shelter, [and the song] is about one of the women there. It's her story," he said.

More Song Stories entries »

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