D.I.Y.

Spotify Shows ‘Profound Disrespect’ With Promo For Lower Royalty Offer Say Songwriters

Spotify’s recent offer of targeted algorithmic song placement in exchange for a lower royalty rate continues to draw fire.

“Spotify’s suggestion to promise more exposure in exchange of lower royalty rates shows once more its profound disrespect to the community of creators who struggle to make a living,” writes The European Composer and Songwriter Alliance in a strongly-worded statement today. “Such a “payola” also puts the spotlight on Spotify’s opaque practices which effectively results in a pay-for-play model to the benefit of a few players with detrimental consequences for the vast majority creators, consumer choice and cultural diversity alike.”

The European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA) represents over 30,000 professional composers and songwriters in 27 European countries. 

According to ESCA, recent Spotify data shows that rate the streamer pays is already low and further decreased recently:

“On average, Spotify pays most artists between $.003 and $.005 for each stream[1], in the best possible scenario. The company also appealed against better royalty rates for songwriters in the US while the average yearly salary of a Spotify’s employee hit $132,301 in 2018 – more than double what it was in 2011[2].

Separately, more than 18,000 musicians have signed a letter demanding that Spotify pay at least 1 cent per stream.

MORE: Spotify Lets Artists, Labels Influence Recommend Tracks In Exchange For Lower Royalties

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4 Comments

  1. Yes I agree this is ridiculous three tenths of a cent to five tenths of a cent can’t even buy a cup of coffee. Spotify should be ashamed of there self’s fist you want to sue not to pay a higher Royalty Rate and now you want to pay less then 3 tenths of a since.Hey Spotify want you want us to do get on the corner and beg for Change instead of selling out creative art!

  2. Thay need to pay pre streams because I got 10k streams n only got 25 dollers it should have been 50 or more Spotify y’all gotta get right because I’m a license recording artist n song writer

  3. Spotify seems to be one of them main platforms to everyone frequently phlox to befall their premiums premiums and other set prices for different subscriptions the rates that they pay out the same ridiculous. But as an artist we want to just focus on making the music and being creative and not worrying about payout and royalties that’s why we are with companies like BMI and ASCAP and sesac Publishers administration’s and things of that nature so that they can go to work for us. Don’t just settle for one music platform use all of them and use all of them to the fullest.

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