Aaagh, just yesterday I subscribed with You Tube Premium instead of Spotify all because of Joe Rogan and then Daniel Ek pulls this out of the bag!!!!

That is a truly amazing reaction by Daniel Ek for which he should be praised, along with Neil Young.

Joe Rogan will no doubt whine about cancel culture, it’s simply consequence culture which he and his $ 100M advance merely has to live with, unlike the many that listened to his show, didn’t take the money, sorry vaccine and fatally caught Covid.

Regards
Robin Hill

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This is a laughable response.  Young is back because he has music to put out.  Rogan complaining to Ek is 100% for people like you to say Neil won.  Rogan is going nowhere and Young caved, which is exactly how all the young people and people with any sense will see it.  To say Neil won sounds like MSM propaganda.  In the end, no one cared if Young and his 70 year-old mates left.  How many top performers of today left?  None. How many really cared or thought Neil was even correct.  None.
I love Neil’s music but for the “common man” that sold his music to Blackstone, no love for his BS move with Rogan.

fredslink

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Bob, did I NOT write you about this a year ago?? Spotify and TikTok should’ve been in bed already. Each time your song gets used for a video on TikTok, you should get a stream on Spotify. Maybe even each time that video gets played. NOW we start adding more revenue for artists and cooking with some gas.

Danny Jay

Shytown

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There are a handful of truly great Neil Young songs, so this is good news. But what about Joni? In my opinion, her catalog is a treasure. Will it return to Spotify?

Keith Brown

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Since on Spotify, the royalty amount paid per stream is dependent on the total revenues that Spotify receives, this seems like a ploy by the major labels to limit competition and increase their payout.

Spotify could face anti-trust lawsuits from the independent distribution companies.

If Spotify reduces the number of artists to 165,000 from the current 5.8 million and deletes millions of songs, I will be canceling my paid Spotify subscription.

Larry Green

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1. I was never a big CSN/CSNY fan. Never bought an album. I liked the hits. I knew  “Down By The River and “Long Time Gone”, both basement jam staples. Late last night I started watching “Woodstock”. “Long Time Gone” and “Wooden Ships” played early in the film. I started thinking; Wow. This is what it’s all about. My tinnitus added a couple of new roars and hums over the past two years and I think my concert going days are over. But that CSNY reunion is one I would kill to see.

2. Re: 10k per month. So, if The Comsat Angels or The Pale Fountains put their full catalogs on Spotify and don’t reach the 10k (quite possible), they’ll be gone forever? Very depressing. Wait – Is the 10k line only for new acts?

Cheers,

Tom Quinn

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No mention of YouTube Music  / Google in all this? Where do you place the largest search engine / SEO machine in the scheme?

Luke Joerger

Hastings Digital Studios LL

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I do hope you’re slightly wrong about the Spotify changes.

I’m a verified artist on Spotify, but one with fewer than 10,000 listeners a month.

Nevertheless, between streaming, PRS and PPL I earn maybe £1500 a year from my music. Losing that, on an income that totals about £15,000 a year (yes, I’m below the poverty line) would be catastrophic.

Streaming has been a lifeline, and I’ve worked hard at wresting my rights back so I benefit at least as much as my utterly inactive label and publisher. It also gives me something to work with, to build my numbers, something I’m currently working on.

Plus, I mentor six young up and coming artists. Shutting off their access simply puts more power back into the hands of labels. The last thing any of us needs.

Best wishes
Paul Phillips
rosterartistdevelopment.com

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So Neil Young pulled his music from Spotify because it was him or Rogan and now Neil is back and Rogan is still there? I love it that Neil is just a money whore like so many of the elites.

It would be nice to have competition for Ticketmaster, but in truth Spotify is going to make you pay more in order to have them as a resource. I didn’t get the feeling tickets would be available via both outlets. Too bad, that is real competition for the consumer. One or the other firm being the only source for tickets is not a competitive situation for the ticket buyer.

Personally, I don’t have a problem with scalpers. If I want to go to a show, I will pay more and go to fewer events. A lot of people feel this way about concerts, sporting events, etc.

Last, a CSNY reunion? Yeah I went to the last one in 1974 and it was just a money grab for four drugged out musicians who could barely get through their set. No thanks. Fool me once, shame on you. ……..

Dennis Paulik

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As for Neil Young he has clearly become the person he railed against in his more pure state. Thatl never be back.

jb

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re: “you can put your track on Spotify, but if you don’t have 10,000 streams in a month, your song is removed.” – As a longtime Spotify subscriber, I use the platform voraciously in multiple genres.  I surely hope this 10k caveat doesn’t apply across the board.  A LOT of back catalogue songs/music I listen to – some of it from the majors – have far less than 10,000 streams total, but that doesn’t make the music irrelevant.  Using the 10k a month criterion, a lot of really great records would be removed.  Some genres would be eviscerated.  It’s not as though there aren’t great Indian Classical Ragas that don’t get a lot of streams, but I still prefer the music to remain up on the platform for when I do want it.  I’ll assume this policy would only apply to self-released artists, moving forward.

Greg Debonne

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So, an artist can put a song up, but if it doesn’t get fucking TEN MILLION STREAMS they take it down and blacklist the artist?

You need to rewrite that entire article as a HORROR STORY, which is what it sounds like from out here.

Vestra Atredies

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Glad to hear Spotify and Daniel Ek are facing their issues, as you said.

Good to know Ek can find his way toward a compromise and make Spotify, first a music provider, and everything else second.

—budzenko

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I understand you’re probably too busy to respond, but from what I understand from your note is you have to have a song sustain 10K streams a month to stay on Spotify?

Ken Kelley

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I saw your article about the potential changes at Spotify, where only songs with 10k in their first month will stay on the platform. I’d love to learn more, but googling the terms brings up too much info!

I haven’t seen the main article that you heard or read this from. Would you please send it to me?

Caley Rose

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The vaccines still don’t work buddy

Mark N, Foley

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Bob I’m sorry I used to like you but you’re such a moron now it’s almost embarrassing lol. And you’re on the wrong side of everything but just too incredibly stupid or arrogant or both to realize it. Your Twitter probably has an upside down Ukrainian flag

Johnny Vieira

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So as a songwriter, producer, publisher and musician who has always noted your prescience in matters of music industry, should I renew my Premium now, when Young is officially back on (not just because of being farm but because of the change in business mode changes Ek is making) or wait and vote with a renewed Premium at a later date, speaking with my consumer $$ as it were?

And should I do any new releases of music on TikTok first to market test and build a streaming base, or hurry and get my best single or an EP on Spotify before the 10,000 streams a month policy takes effect?

Not requesting any personal replay here, but a further letter with some clarity as you see it if you were me or serious and capable pro. As I may have mentioned in the past, my next releases,  be it single or EP format this year features quite a few legendary session players as “the band” ala Steely Dan” concept of a band. Rolling the dice but perhaps but I am referring to Steve Cropper, Dave Hungate, Sklar, Kunkel, Waddy, several members of Prince’s NPG, The Revolution, The Time, Soul Asylum, The Rembrandts, Toto, (but not Luke yet, he’s thought about it but not committed), and Hall & Oates band. Over a dozen Grammy winners many of whom are also hit song writers and producers as well.

Its my money and risk but like any entrepreneur (who has some data from Soundcloud to indicate my hits and misses objectively by fan base), I’d like to back the right horse. Presently, Minneapolis based Cory Wong & the Wong Notes, with 6 former embers of NPG including co-front man Sonny T. are having a very successful tour and  Sonny is one of my prime co-producers, co-writers, and session players  for almost 30 years now.

Just curious how a well-informed artist, producer, or songwriter should proceed if you were them?

Best,

Zannman

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Fuck Young and CSNY money grab. And fuck your stupid attempt to censor Rogan.

Derek Morris