Panel, Fireside Chat
Using Music to Make the World a Better Place
Milken InstituteDoug Herzog, Hugh Evans, Michael Lang, Harvey Mason, Jr., French Montana, Diane Warren
- The organization intends to distribute 80% of tickets for free at GlobalCitizenFestival.com, requiring visitors to take action on GlobalCitizenFestival.com to earn them.
- Ending extreme poverty affecting 1.2 billion people is expected to require leading roles from both business and government sectors.
- Private sector engagement is necessary to secure the trillions of dollars in investment required for UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
- Songwriters anticipate a "Woke National Anthem" similar to "Change" or a future anthemic protest song emerging within the next few years, with current listeners described as "ripe" for such content.
- Musicians are expected to influence young people and control culture during social change movements, potentially forcing issues through social media pressure on political leaders.
- The "microwave era" of music consumption, characterized by 300,000 new songs posted weekly, is predicted to continue prioritizing fast content over deep engagement.
- Fair royalty payments are essential to prevent a generation of music creators from leaving the industry for alternative employment.
- Legislative changes are expected to address songwriter royalty issues, following a bill passed approximately two weeks prior to the statements.
- Streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple, and YouTube provide industry vitality but currently pay songwriters rates comparable to service industry jobs for major hits.
- Technology has significantly improved music distribution methods compared to the physical cassette era.
- Market demand will dictate whether message-driven songs receive heavy curation, as platforms require listener excitement.
- Artists must align messages with consumer knowledge and merge messaging with high-quality music to effectively create a market, avoiding content perceived as political lectures or homework.
- Advocacy and school programs are expected to enable more individuals to lead discussions on social change in 20 years.