In January and February this year we published the first in a series of features about the streaming debate, speaking to artists and producers who are removing their work from Spotify. The debate around Spotify has generally been around their royalty payments which many artists consider way too low. Spotify’s pro-rata royalty system also comes in for plenty of criticism, particularly when a user-centric model – where all of your Spotify fees go only to artists that you’ve actually streamed – seems, at least at face value, to be a much fairer model.
However, as reported last month, artists like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have removed their music from Spotify due to the streaming platform’s inaction over controversial content, rather than issues around artist remuneration.
The Joe Rogan Podcast and Spotify have come in for much criticism for spreading dangerous Covid-19 disinformation and for platforming far-right YouTube personality Jordan Peterson. US singer-songwriter India.Arie announced last month via her Facebook page that she’s removed her music and podcast from Spotify because of Rogan’s language around race.
Photo credit: Benedict Evans, text from India.Arie’s Facebook.
US house artist Mr V has also removed his label’s music from Spotify because of “Joe Rogan & his antics that go beyond his anti-vax views and opinions. There are now TOO MANY things I’m seeing about his show that Spotify is promoting”.
Artists’ reasons for moving away from Spotify are moving beyond just remuneration, although this remains broadly the stick with which they’re beaten. The streaming company announced just last week a $310 sponsorship of Barcelona FC. In short, if you’re a football club going/gone broke, then there’s money available to you. If you’ve got a commercially viable podcast…hey, here’s a huge bag of cash. Got a lot of great music? Move along please, nothing for you here.
We spoke to a further three musicians who have decided to cease working with Spotify.
Barker
Berghain resident, Leisure System co-founder and producer Barker took the Leisure System catalogue down from Spotify at the start of the pandemic.
Why did you remove your label’s music from Spotify?
I’d wanted to do this for a while. Although income from Spotify grew in small measures each year, all other services were suffering and it seemed to be cannibalising other better-paying revenue streams.
The main argument for keeping the music there was that artists need to be present on the platform for exposure – that mystical currency you’re expected to convert into paid gigs. To me, it’s always been a shaky assumption and from a label perspective, it just isn’t sustainable. Since the pandemic put a stop to events, this ‘exposure’ argument became redundant, which gave us an opportunity to take our catalogue down and see what happens.
Some producers have huge monthly listener counts on Spotify, but sell next to nothing anywhere else
Barker
