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OVER THE LAST year, Spotify has repeatedly found itself in high-profile spats with blockbuster artists based primarily on one policy: Spotify’s unwillingness to make some music available only to its paying subscribers.
Now the company is set to give in, according to The Wall Street Journal’s Hannah Karp.
“In private talks, Spotify has told music executives that it is planning to allow some artists to start releasing albums only to its 20 million-plus subscribers,” while leaving its free users out in the cold, Karp writes.
Spotify’s strict policy of only stocking music that its free users could also enjoy was a main reason that artists like Taylor Swift and Coldplay withheld their music from the service, either temporarily or permanently.
Swift has been particularly vocal in criticising Spotify. She claims Spotify’s current policies don’t value her music in the proper way.
Swift initially denied Apple Music access to her albums because it was not going to pay artists during a free trial period, but later made up with the company and made her catalog available on the platform (after the company met her demands).
Spotify is, no doubt, hoping for a similar reconciliation — with Swift and artists who share her sentiments.
“Apple treated me like I was a voice of a creative community that they actually cared about,” Swift told Vanity Fair. “And I found it really ironic that the multibillion-dollar company reacted to criticism with humility, and the startup with no cash flow reacted to criticism like a corporate machine.”
Perhaps her opinion of Spotify will change as well, though the company has reportedly made clear that this policy will only roll out on a trial basis, according to The Wall Street Journal. Spotify executives want to see how it affects subscriptions.
This potential change should be welcome news for Pandora CEO Brian McAndrews, who has called free music on-demand an unsustainable business model, and sees it as a negative force in the industry. McAndrews is of the opinion that on-demand music should only exist in a premium tier.
Spotify issued the following the statement to Business Insider:
We are 100% committed to our model because we believe that a free, ad-supported tier combined with a more robust premium tier is the best way to deliver music to fans, create value for artists and songwriters, and grow the industry.
In that context, we explored a wide range of promotional options for the new Coldplay album and ultimately decided, together with management, that Coldplay and its fans would best be served with the full album on both free and premium this Friday.
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I remember the days paying 26.99 punts for a new release from a prominent band /record company. You did me then and I haven’t forgotten !
Sure how much is a new release these days anyway?
I’m happy that the likes of Taylor Swift won’t be accessible.
Only a fiver as an add on with Vodafone. I find it really handy for play lists and downloading music for offline listening. YouTube is grand of your sat at home or in the office but it’s useless out and about. I suppose it depends on your intended use and if you have a fiver to spare or not
I’m not with Vodafone, so I pay the full €9.99 a month, and it is still the best value subscription I have by a long shot. I’d pay €50 a month for Netflix if it was as comprehensive stocked with movies as Spotify is with music.
@Chuck @David – Well done for supporting artists and buying your music legally. Many artists these days are struggling to earn a living because many people are stealing the fruit of their labour.
I switched to Vodafone just for the Spotify deal. I love the discover weekly playlist, come across so many great artists with it.
@thedude I’m in no way minted but I just like paying my way. If you get something for free someone down the line is suffering. Same goes for cheap for food in so called discount super markets
Pay for music…. Can somebody explain how that works…..!
@allister – It is where ones pays another person for the fruit of their labour – without stealing it, because one believes that one is entitled to the fruit of another person’s work.
https://www.ted.com/talks/amanda_palmer_the_art_of_asking?language=en
The above link, although a idealistic concept but an interesting one just the same.
Could never understand the appeal of Spotify. Paying to only rent music? The fat cats at the top are laughing
You get a service where you have access to a much wider collection of music than you own. No hassle of ripping purchased music and then running out of storage on your device. Some huge pluses to the service.
Used to but 3-4 CDs a month but now I can listen to unlimited albums I didn’t buy for much less.
I never use it, you can listen to free music on youtube!
@Michael – Isn’t that theft!
It is but I’m just telling you the way it is unfortunately, but if your paying for music, your paying for the quality, I noticed on youtube some music is not up to standard so there is the difference.
@Michael – I see what your saying. Do you not find also that there has developed a prevailing attitude, especially among millennials – that they are ENTITLED to music for free and the fruit of another’s labour, without paying for it. What I find rather telling about this mentality is that – if you demand of them to labour for something, and then tell them that they should not be paid for it – they are all up in arms invoking their rights!
Well there is no control over the internet and anyone could download music on what they desire, the only solution to this if there was a world governing body of all states siging up to and against anyone that infringes the copyright of anyones work should be punishable but there is nothing done about it, you right, people have this belief they are entitled to free content over the internet, so my point is, anyone can download content for free but much of the focus should be the ones uploading and distributing copyright content in the first place, that’s the root of the problem!
A service without Colplay and Taylor Swift is a great service. I’d gladly listen to a few ads instead of them.
More bollocks!
It defeats the entire purpose of Spotify.
Nobody has to pay,it’s not compulsory.
That Taylor Swift Apple debacle was a pre planned publicity stunt. Anyone who thinks it wasn’t is fooling themselves.
have your say