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MMF issues statement on Taylor Swift’s Spotify takedown
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 12 November 2014
And one more from the Swiftify file. Having been watching debates and developments in the streaming music world this month, the UK’s Music Managers Forum has issued a statement giving its view on matters.
Saying that the organisation is a “big supporter of streaming services”, it accuses Taylor Swift and her label Big Machine of short-sightedness for pulling her content from Spotify, before again hitting out at the Non Disclosure Agreements that mask the deals between streaming services and the major labels.
“Few markets are perfect and yes the ‘low rate issue’ has conflicted many, but above all, streaming services are a fabulous tool that connects artists and creators with fans”, the statement reads. “No longer restricted by physical barriers, streaming gives a voice to those that want to be heard and a platform from which to build multi-revenue businesses that cross borders. There are no guarantees of success but the opportunity is there for all that want to give it a shot”.
Saying that Kobalt’s recent report that its songwriters earned more from Spotify than iTunes in Europe in the first quarter of this year was “encouraging”, the MMF statement continues: “We are disappointed to see Taylor Swift remove her catalogue from Spotify. Her label talked about not being disrespectful to her fans who purchased the album but we do wonder about the fifteen million Taylor Swift fans who are not listening to her music this week on Spotify or those near 20 million fans who have had her music ripped from their playlists”.
“Whatever one thinks of the Spotify free, or more accurately termed ad-supported service, we wouldn’t be surprised if this was more about, headlines, badge collecting and economics”, it added.
Finally, the statement concludes: “Non Disclosure Agreements hide how the major music corporations license streaming services and we have grave concerns that the deals contain stipulations that both significantly reduce the amount artists ultimately get attributed and damage the growth of the streaming economy. The real fight is more likely between opacity and transparency, and we call on all major music corporations to take note and react in the best interest of their artists and shareholders”.
Read the full statement here.
