Jump to content

To Apple, Love Taylor UPDATE: Apple changes policy


RussTCB

Recommended Posts

Taylor Swift posted this open letter to Apple. I'm curious as to everyone's thoughts on it given what everyone thought about Tidal:

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.

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.

These are not the complaints of a spoiled, petulant child. These are the echoed sentiments of every artist, writer and producer in my social circles who

are afraid to speak up publicly because we admire and respect Apple so much. We simply do not respect this particular call.

I realize that Apple is working towards a goal of paid streaming. I think that is beautiful progress. We know how astronomically successful Apple has

been and we know that this incredible company has the money to pay artists, writers and producers for the 3 month trial period… even if it is free for the

fans trying it out.

Three months is a long time to go unpaid, and it is unfair to ask anyone to work for nothing. I say this with love, reverence, and admiration for everything

else Apple has done. I hope that soon I can join them in the progression towards a streaming model that seems fair to those who create this music. I think

this could be the platform that gets it right.

But I say to Apple with all due respect, it’s not too late to change this policy and change the minds of those in the music industry who will be deeply and

gravely affected by this. We don’t ask you for free iPhones. Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation.

Taylor

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its not like she's really unique in this opinion or anything, but she's 100% right and she's a big name to make a statement which is good. She already doesn't put her music on Spotify I believe, and the bottom line is, regardless of how I feel about her music, there need to be more artists that speak up publicly if they don't agree with something. She doesn't, and she spoke up about it in very eloquent terms. I see absolutely no way she could be faulted for this.

Honestly, it just reminds me of all those years ago when Lars railed against Napster and everyone called him a brat. And look at how right he was. Hopefully a big name like Swift is a step in the right direction.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This seems like the part people might have looked past:

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even though Im not in to these paid streaming stuff when you can listen to songs or watch videos on youtube, I don't have that much money, i'd rather save money and go to watch a live show of that band, In this case I do agree with her, if there is a new artist who is releasing stuff and has worked hard and is looking forward that people will buy his/her album, then well he won't get any money in those 3 months, even though 80% of the people download stuff from torrents, but well there are some people who buy stuff or pay for streaming songs, so as an artist it is indeed bad for them

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's streaming music, correct? You don't download the songs and possess copies, right? If so, then new artists can weigh the money they'd lose in those 3 months in one hand, and the benefit of exposure and the promise of royalties after 3 months in the other. Then they should empty their hands and slap Taylor Swift across both sides of her bitch face.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's streaming music, correct? You don't download the songs and possess copies, right? If so, then new artists can weigh the money they'd lose in those 3 months in one hand, and the benefit of exposure and the promise of royalties after 3 months in the other. Then they should empty their hands and slap Taylor Swift across both sides of her bitch face.

What if no one streams their music after 3 months lol, but well what will be the chances if people will even stream that particular artist/band in the first 3 months itself, its like a gamble for new unknown artists.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's streaming music, correct? You don't download the songs and possess copies, right? If so, then new artists can weigh the money they'd lose in those 3 months in one hand, and the benefit of exposure and the promise of royalties after 3 months in the other. Then they should empty their hands and slap Taylor Swift across both sides of her bitch face.

What good is exposure if people aren't paying anywhere down the line? In Swift's example, yeah, she makes megabucks off touring, but for a lot of smaller artists the overheads on touring aren't met by the returns.

Not saying that all musicians deserve to be millionaires or anything, just that "exposure" is often used by labels in the same scummy way that a lot of employers lead people along with "this unpaid internship will look great on your CV!" to justify the "invaluable experience" of getting them to do work for free.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really what all this shit is about is the revaluing of music and the fact that artists aint gonna get paid ridiculous fuckin' amounts like they did for a 40 or so year period in the 20th century and all these nowadays wankers that were raised on dreams of pop stardom and tons of fuckin' money are all narked off now because they ain't gonna be rich enough to have 40 jet planes and 80 mansions in God knows how many different cities of the earth and what they're left with basically is making music. Making music and actually working for their dues like plumbers, builders, taxi drivers and all the other occupations of the world have to for their monies. And a fucking fair amount of money.

'Oh what, my pay off has to be the joy of the craft now? Oh fuck this! I'm not accepting the weekly income bracket of the upper middle class, I'm a popstar damn you!'

You don't like it, quit music and go work as a fuckin' waitress somewhere and leave some room for the sort of people who are passionate about music instead of passionate about money. So you only have two million in your account instead of fuckin' 80, oh my heart bleeds, i think about you everything i have look in the back of the sofa when I'm 15p short for a pint of milk, fucking malingerers.

Edited by Len B'stard
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, both Taylor and Apple can go fuck themselves. This is just rich people doing what rich people do: argue over money. A sick culture pays its entertainers the extraordinary wages some of these people make. It's about time so-called artists reassess their shit. Read a history book and see what happens to people who live in castles.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a 3 month "protest" while Apple goes into the subscription streaming business. I don't understand why they can't pay artists but there's this "revolt" going on with some artists. GNR is under Universal & Jimmy Iovine so I guess Axl can't take part?

Edited by dalsh327
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This seems like the part people might have looked past:

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.

So she don't mind if she don't get her cut in this situation, this is all her giving it up for 'the young songwriter'? Maybe the problem is the reason that young singer songwriter is in debt in the first place, which is more to do with the way the industry, that Taylor is trying to support here, is configured. Maybe those young singer songwriters should use their fucking brains and not accept massive advances from record companies that leave them essentially in debt, waiting on royalties. By attacking this whole downloading and streaming and free music shit and supporting the old structure you essentially propping up the structure that puts these poor bastards in debt in the first place.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Was just coming to post the news that she got it changed:

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6605568/apple-changes-course-after-taylor-swift-open-letter-will-pay-labels-during

Apple has decided to change course and pay labels for the rights to stream their music during a 90-day free trial. The move comes

after Taylor Swift penned an open letter to the hardware giant, writing that she found the company's insistence "disappointing" and shocking.

In a tweet, senior vice president of internet services and software Eddy Cue wrote that Apple would pay artists during the 90-day period.

In an interview with Billboard, Cue elaborated that it was Swift's letter that turned him around on the issue. "When I woke up this morning and

saw what Taylor had written, it really solidified that we needed a change. And so that's why we decide we will now pay artists during the trial period."

"I am elated and relieved," Swift tweeted an hour after Cue's announcement. "Thank you for your words of support today. They listened to us."

Cue added that Apple had heard the same "concern from a lot of artists," noting that it was "never our intent" to not compensate artists, rather

they were planning to originally negotiate a higher royalty rate, which they will stick with.

Asked if Apple is eating the cost of the 90-day trial period, Cue said, "We're certainly paying for it, yes. We're all in."

Once the decision was made by Cue and Apple CEO Tim Cook, Cue called Swift on the phone from her tour in Amsterdam. "I let her know that we

heard her concerns and are making the changes. We have a long relationship with Taylor so I wanted her to hear directly from us."

Swift's reaction: "She was thrilled and very thankful and excited to see how quick we responded."

Cue emphasized the company's long history with "the music community," adding, "We have a deep respect for what they do. ...We're in this for the

long term." Dissent within that community over the free three-month trial had been mounting for weeks. On Sunday, artists from Elvis Costello to

Bleachers' Jack Antonoff to Christina Perri tweeted their support for Swift's post: Costello wrote (retweeted by Swift), "A word from our future President.

Right on. You tell 'em, Girl. E.C." The British indie community has been particularly vocal: On June 16, Alison Wenham, CEO of the country's

Association of Independent Music, wrote in a letter to members: "The speed at which Apple has introduced their plans and its lack of consultation with

the independent music sector over deal terms (despite what Jimmy Iovine might claim) has left us with the uneasy feeling that independents are being

railroaded into an agreement that could have serious short-term consequences for our members’ interests." On June 10, U.S. indie-label trade

organization A2IM urged its members "not feel rushed to sign Apple’s current offer."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never heard of her.

I doubt that.
If that's true, it's certainly much more lack of information of his part than insignificance of her part. I don't like her music, I don't like her public antics or anything related to her but I damn well know who she is. Hell, my mom knows who she is.
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...