There is no music industry without songwriters. They are the emotional engineers behind the biggest hits, the people who take tangled feelings and turn them into midnight anthems shouted from car windows. Songwriters shape artists. They influence genres. They deserve every ounce of recognition and compensation they get.

The music industry is constantly adapting to technological changes. Social media has become the biggest marketing tool for artists. Cellphones are being held up to record every second of a performance. With the rise of viral sensations becoming stars, not all artists can decide whether they can start in small venues or go straight into being an opening act for the biggest superstar in the world.