What is going on with the Writers Guild of America? Why are they on strike, and will it affect the music industry?
The film and television industry is facing a crisis: the Writers Guild of America (WGA) is going on strike after the chilling effects of low wages and artificial intelligence (AI) have gloomed over.
The writers of movies and television shows are demanding fair pay and treatment from their multibillion-dollar studios, which obviously is not going well.
"Though we negotiated intent on making a fair deal ... the studios' responses to our proposals have been wholly insufficient, given the existential crisis writers are facing," read the union's statement.
This crisis is getting harder and harder to ignore, and the writers have finally reached a breaking point-the first one since 2007.
This problem, which also includes the rise of AI like ChatGPT, is cause for concern not just for the writers in the movie and television industry, but the entire entertainment industry which includes music.
Solidarity
According to reports, following the strike, Snoop Dogg, one of the most prominent rappers and entrepreneurs in the music industry, has decided to talk about the strike which very well may happen in the music industry as well.
"[Artists] need to figure it out the same way the writers are figuring it out," the rapper said. "The writers are striking because [of] streaming, they can't get paid. Because when it's on the platform, it's not like in the box office."
Just like everyone else, Snoop Dogg is confused, but worried about where the money goes, if not the writers.
"That's the main gripe with a lot of us artists is that we do major numbers... But it don't add up to the money. Like where the f**k is the money?"
Music Industry
After acquiring Death Row Records, the rapper took out all the label's music from music streaming platforms because of issues regarding the royalties.
He then explained how it would be beneficial for him and his fellow artists to have their own platform from which people can stream directly from.
"So what I wanted to do is snatch my music off, create a platform similar to Amazon, Netflix, Hulu. It'll be a Death Row app, and the music, in the meantime, will live in the metaverse."
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