Startup Blokur has released its second annual ‘Songwriters’ Review’ report, based on its analysis of the top tracks (and thus also the top compositions and songwriters) on streaming services Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube in 2021.
Like last year, the report includes a chart of the top 100 songwriters based on this data, and also like last year, the top songwriter in that list is a woman. Olivia Rodrigo sits atop the 2021 rankings, just as Tones and I did in 2020. However, below Rodrigo it’s not such a positive story when it comes to diversity.
“The number of women in the top 100 songwriters across all platforms remained unchanged from 2020 at 15,” explained the report, which was published via a partnership with UK songwriters body The Ivors Academy.
“The continuing lack of gender parity is something that the music industry must continue to address and this report provides important information to increase awareness and accelerate change,” said its boss Graham Davies.
The report explores a number of other trends for songwriters in the streaming market. For example, the overall percentage of English-language songs in the top 100 increased from 80% in 2020 to 83% in 2021.
The average number of songwriters contributing to each of those songs has fallen year-on-year, from five to 4.4, while pop AND country have both overtaken rap in the top genre rankings. Also interesting, the percentage of American songwriters involved in the top 100 songs fell from 60% to 46%, with India (from 2% to 9%) and Puerto Rico (2% to 6%) among the key growers.
You can get the report here, with Blokur and The Ivors Academy set to hold an online event this Thursday (3 November) to discuss its key findings in further detail.
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