Billboard On The Record How Middle Class Songwriters Disappeared w/ Ryan Tedder & David Israelite
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Feb 12, 2026 
David Israelite, NMPA leader fighting for fair royalties and songwriter rights. Ryan Tedder, hitmaking songwriter/producer and Runner Music founder. They discuss why songwriting pay has eroded, how streaming and social media reshaped writing and pitching, the rise of large writing rooms and courtesy credits, K-pop’s songwriting boom, and emerging AI tools and back-office opportunities.
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From K‑pop Trainee To Hit Songwriter
- David tells EJ's story: she trained for K‑pop, became a songwriter, recorded demos, and was cast as the voice in a hit Netflix film.
- Her song success launched her into stardom and exemplified songwriting as a career path in K‑pop.
Basement Beat To Global Hit
- Ryan recounts a New Zealand teen uploading a horn loop that became a global smash via TikTok and streaming.
- He uses it to show how basement producers can suddenly earn millions, illustrating the new lottery nature of hits.
First Five‑Person Pop Room
- Ryan recalls first encountering five‑person pop rooms and realizing co-writing scales hitmaking.
- He observed pop and hip‑hop evolving into larger, role‑specialized writing teams.