#21: Why It Is Illegal For Songwriters To Form A Union

In this episode of Sold 4 a Song, Terrance Sawchuk answers the question why do musicians, singers, actors, directors, producers, screenwriters, even stagehands,have unions… but songwriters don’t?

In this episode of Sold for a Song, Terry Sawchuk breaks down a truth that shocks many creators: songwriters are legally prohibited from forming a union in the United States. Not discouraged. Not frowned upon. Illegal.

Drawing on 30+ years in the music industry, including real-world examples from his own Billboard #1 career, Terry explains:

How U.S. labor and antitrust law classify songwriters

Why owning a song and controlling it are two very different things

How compulsory licenses strip songwriters of the right to say no

Why publishers, PROs, and Congress—not creators—set the rules

Where live performance royalties break down (and often disappear)

And why the future of creator power depends on direct ownership, private portals, and cutting out intermediaries

This episode is about clarity, leverage, and practical survival in a system that was never designed to favor the inventor.

Key Topics Covered

Why songwriter unions are illegal under U.S. antitrust law