Rdio CEO On Taylor Swift and the Spotify vs. YouTube Payment Conondrum
Some simple simple statements just hit the mail on the head, as do these from Rdio CEO Anthony Bay at the recent Web Summit.
On Spotify vs. YouTube Payments:
“[Artists] say ‘Wow, I have a million views on YouTube!’ That’s a badge of honour. But if they have a million plays on a streaming service, then it’s ‘they should be paid more’…
On Taylor Swift:
"It’s the artist’s choice. It needs to be the artist’s decision as much as possible. In this case, if the artist said ‘I don’t want my music to be played for free, then you have to respect that."
quotes via MusicAlly
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The problem with Bay’s argument is that Spotify, Rdio, etc. have built their brand on being an alternative to buying music. However, they don’t want to pay anywhere near the equivalent amount that an artist would get from selling their music. They want the financial privileges that come with music distribution, but they don’t want the responsibility that goes along with it that includes paying the artist.
I agree with mason. The problem is Spotify and Rdio came in and said we are the solution to monetizing music in an on demand streaming world. Youtube came in and said we are free place to upload videos (which turned out to be audio friendly as well), and we are going to sell advertising.
Now they want to change their tune and suggest they are solving a completely different problem, distribution, which they are, but they are being held to their initial promise which they aren’t really upholding.
Rdio CEO Anthony Bay’s argument, “[Artists] say ‘Wow, I have a million views on YouTube!’ That’s a badge of honour. But if they have a million plays on a streaming service, then it’s ‘they should be paid more’…” does not hold up entirely, because artists are compensated for their music on YouTube via a service called Rumblefish, as well as for ads that play alongside the videos.