SAG-AFTRA SXSW Panel Covers the Rights of Recording Artists

SAG-AFTRA hosted the What to Know: Royalties, Rights & Recording Artists panel on March 14. The hour-long panel, which took place during South by Southwest 2023 in Austin, Texas, was moderated by Billboard Chief Brand Officer Dana Droppo and featured SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland as a panelist alongside rising music talent Armani White and Dan Resnik, artist management professional and president of Res Entertainment. 

The conversation brought special attention to the opportunities and challenges music talent faces in the industry and the union’s current work in advocating for union recording artists, singers and musicians. White relayed his personal experiences in getting signed with his music label and the important role his representation played when his hit song "Billie Eilish" first gained viral popularity on TikTok.  

“It’s not just about believing [your] team when they tell you [something is happening at] the right moment, but knowing what to do in that moment,” said White. “There were a lot of moments when I had to lean on my manager and have their input when deciding our next step. You have to have people around you that understand what the next step is and what you’re supposed to do — not just throw things at the wall and see what sticks.”

Crabtree-Ireland provided information to the audience about union membership for recording artists and the benefits guaranteed to them when working under a collective bargaining agreement. During the panel, he spoke in depth about SAG-AFTRA’s initiatives within the music landscape, including its work to ensure members receive royalties.

“In my experience, what most artists I know would really like to do is be an artist and not have to be a businessperson, and one of the ways you can do that is by having a team of people who can take some of that load off your shoulders so you can stay focused on your creativity. That’s what we’re here for, especially when you’re first starting out, and why it’s so important to have things like royalties in place so that you have an ongoing stream of compensation that you can rely on in an uneven industry like the music business,” said Crabtree-Ireland.

He also detailed how the union continues to advocate for the passing of the American Music Fairness Act, a legislative bill that would guarantee artists payment for airplay on AM/FM, or terrestrial, radio stations. 

The following day, White and other Def Jam Recordings artists performed at the Hip-Hop’s Next & Now showcase. Presented by SAG-AFTRA, the event was a partnership between the record label and music and entertainment magazine VIBE. Rap legend Jadakiss headlined the event, and in attendance was hip-hop pioneer and Hip-Hop Alliance Co-founder Kurtis Blow, who gave a brief, impromptu performance of his classic hit, “The Breaks.”

The SXSW panel later aired as part of the SAG-AFTRA President’s Task Force on Education, Outreach & Engagement’s programming. Other panels, interviews and workshops can be found at sagaftra.org/videos. 

The views expressed by the guests are their own and not that of SAG-AFTRA. Any mention of products or services does not imply SAG-AFTRA’s endorsement.