The music industry grew six percent last year, thanks partly to the popularity of streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.

Spotify is the undisputed leader in the industry. To play catch up, Apple Music has been offering record labels more money to license their music. But with some 27 million subscribers now, Apple’s streaming service is rumored to be renegotiating its contracts with record labels to reduce how much it pays them.

But where are the musicians – the hitmakers – in all of this?

Music writer Charles R. Cross joins guest host Libby Denkmann to discuss the issue.

Guest:

Charles R. Cross, a Seattle-based music journalist and author of multiple books, including “Kicking & Dreaming: A Story of Heart, Soul, and Rock & Roll” (HarperCollins, 2012), and his latest, “Here We Are Now: The Lasting Impact of Kurt Cobain” (It Books, 2014)