The Musicians’ Union (MU) and The Ivors Academy today welcomed the launch of Spotify’s new website, Loud & Clear, which aims to introduce new transparency and data about the music streaming economy.
The site includes a number of resources for artists and industry professionals that break down the royalty system, the players, and the process.
Horace Trubridge, MU General Secretary, said:
“We are delighted to welcome the launch of Spotify’s ‘Loud and Clear’ website. The #fixstreaming campaign has been calling for more clarity and transparency in the way the platforms pay out to the rights holders and it’s great to see Spotify respond in such a positive way.
“It does, however, underline the fact that whilst the success of streaming is generating huge dividends, it is the rights’ owners who are benefitting chiefly and the artists and performers who write and deliver the music that the whole ecosystem depends on are, at best, the poor relations.”
Graham Davies, CEO of The Ivors Academy, said:
“We welcome Spotify’s new initiative as a step in the right direction of providing music creators with greater transparency. Knowledge is power. We have campaigned for greater transparency about how streaming works, and how songwriters and composers are paid.
“However, the figures from Spotify that show ‘payouts’ are not what goes into the pockets of artists and songwriters. It is what labels and publishers receive, who then pay artists and songwriters a fraction of that. This is where the industry still has a long way to go to achieve true transparency and fair distribution. But well done Spotify, for recognising the importance of transparency and showing that it is possible.”