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Union prez Taylor Swift forces Apple Corp. to its knees, haters gonna hate hate hate

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GavinUK86

Member
Someone retweeted this on my Twitter timeline and I thought it was pretty newsworthy. Did a quick search and nothing came up.

http://taylorswift.tumblr.com/post/122071902085/to-apple-love-taylor

I write this to explain why I’ll be holding back my album, 1989, from the new streaming service, Apple Music. I feel this deserves an explanation because Apple has been and will continue to be one of my best partners in selling music and creating ways for me to connect with my fans. I respect the company and the truly ingenious minds that have created a legacy based on innovation and pushing the right boundaries.
I’m sure you are aware that Apple Music will be offering a free 3 month trial to anyone who signs up for the service. I’m not sure you know that Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months. I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company.

Update: Apple changed their mind, they will now pay labels during the free trial.
 

i_am_ben

running_here_and_there
This is not about me. Thankfully I am on my fifth album and can support myself, my band, crew, and entire management team by playing live shows. This is about the new artist or band that has just released their first single and will not be paid for its success. This is about the young songwriter who just got his or her first cut and thought that the royalties from that would get them out of debt. This is about the producer who works tirelessly to innovate and create, just like the innovators and creators at Apple are pioneering in their field…but will not get paid for a quarter of a year’s worth of plays on his or her songs.

I think this part is also quite pertinent.
 

jesu

Member
That's good of her, I was reading Anton Newcombe(Brian Jonestown Massacre) wasn't happy about not getting paid for 3 months and he was trying to drum up some publicity about it.
Taylor's made it really public now.
 
I still haven't heard 1989 and I guess I won't ever. If you're not on a free streaming service, I'm not listening to you. Get with the times. The world is changing. Nobody's going to pay some exorbitant price for music anymore.
 

Auctopus

Member
If she's not on Spotify, she's not gonna be on Apple Music. The deal from the latter is far worse than the former.

She didn't need to write this either, she's doing it for attention. I love Taylor but she made 5 paragraphs out of something she could've said in a sentence.
 
And lo, the rumour that indie labels will be forced to accept $0 from Apple Music for three months or get thrown off iTunes looks decidedly more plausible.
 

SeanR1221

Member
Or she's hurting those small artists. Someone might not sign up if they can't get her music on a streaming service and then never discover the smaller bands.
 

firelogic

Member
I don't see anything wrong with what she's doing. It doesn't matter how rich or poor you are, you should be paid for your work.
 

Switch Back 9

a lot of my threads involve me fucking up somehow. Perhaps I'm a moron?
My opinion bounced back and forth like three times just reading some of the comments.


Fuck Taylor, what a greedy bitch!

I think this part is also quite pertinent.


Oh, wait a second, that's a good point. Go Taylor!

Worth noting that the rates Apple will pay the record companies come October are higher than other streaming services to make up for the 3 month trial.


Hmm, that seems pretty fair of them...


Now I'm confused.
 

firelogic

Member
I still haven't heard 1989 and I guess I won't ever. If you're not on a free streaming service, I'm not listening to you. Get with the times. The world is changing. Nobody's going to pay some exorbitant price for music anymore.

Tell that to the 5 million people in the USA that bought her album. And what's up with that attitude? You want to consume products but not compensate the creators?
 

sikkinixx

Member
Doesn't spotify?

But how much profit does Spotify make?

I think Apple is being a bit heavy handed with all this, and it certainly looks super shitty but does any streaming music service actually make decent money? Apple can certainly afford to pay the artists for the trial months but it's not gonna give money away if it doesn't have to.
 
My understanding is the big labels have agreed to Apple's terms but a lot of indie labels can't afford that. Taylor Swift is on Big Machine which isn't one of the big labels which is why she can speak out.

And? I'm not sure how this could ever be twisted as being illegal.

But how much profit does Spotify make?

I think Apple is being a bit heavy handed with all this, and it certainly looks super shitty but does any streaming music service actually make decent money? Apple can certainly afford to pay the artists for the trial months but it's not gonna give money away if it doesn't have to.

What's your point? He was asking if other places do. I listed one of the places that do pay.
 

MoodyFog

Member
Like I said on the Apple Music thread: if it's about making a statement why is her older material available on streaming services?
 

kswiston

Member
My opinion bounced back and forth like three times just reading some of the comments.



Fuck Taylor, what a greedy bitch!




Oh, wait a second, that's a good point. Go Taylor!




Hmm, that seems pretty fair of them...


Now I'm confused.

Apple wants to break into a new market without dipping deeply into their own warchest to buy their way in. I don't see why artists should bear the brunt of their customer acquisition strategy. If you are one of those artists who gets one big summer single before fading back into obscurity, those 3 months could represent a good chunk of your potential earnings.
 

SeanR1221

Member
It's also kinda funny to see how jacked up the prices of her concert are compared to a band like the Foo Fighters. I'll be going to their concert soon and got pit tickets for half the price of a nose bleed Taylor Swift seat.
 
good for her, glad a huge artist is putting the industry on notice for bad practices
yeah i'm not quite getting the reactions here... if anything it should be the larger artists (radiohead, nin, and taylor swift?) who should be pushing for changes in how people buy and consume music, and not those who are working two jobs while producing records at 3am in the morning.
 

Zaptruder

Banned
lol pissing off apple

brilliant idea


she's being poorly advised

For some people, especially those that have a lot of money... it's some times, not actually about the money. Because they can afford to make it about some other issue.

Well, it is about the money, but they can afford to take the loss in money to push some other point that they care about.
 
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