Spotify news

Amazon adds audiobooks access to its music service, though won’t rely on bundling discount in the US

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Amazon • 3 min read

Amazon adds audiobooks access to its music service, though won’t rely on bundling discount in the US

American music publishers say they are “optimistic” that Amazon adding audiobooks to its music subscription service won’t impact on the royalties received by songwriters. Unlike with Spotify, which used the addition of audiobooks to claim a discount on what it pays under the US compulsory licence…

Chris Cooke • 20 Nov 2024

Spotify’s Ek puts a damper on ‘super premium’ hype, bigs up AI and innovation as the future

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Spotify • 5 min read

Spotify’s Ek puts a damper on ‘super premium’ hype, bigs up AI and innovation as the future

The super premium opportunity maybe isn’t as exciting as some people would have you believe, and no one can really agree what it would even be anyway. That was a key takeaway from yesterday’s Spotify earnings call, as Daniel Ek doubles down on AI and innovation as the future of streaming…

Sam Taylor • 13 Nov 2024

Spotify should have put up prices long ago; TikTok not a promo platform; AI will be a great tool for making music; Sony will take “more organic” approach to working with artists beyond releases, says Rob Stringer

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Sony Music • 4 min read

Spotify should have put up prices long ago; TikTok not a promo platform; AI will be a great tool for making music; Sony will take “more organic” approach to working with artists beyond releases, says Rob Stringer

Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer spoke at a Bloomberg’s Screentime conference last week, about getting more money out of TikTok, streaming subscribers, and opportunities for Sony and its artists. Those opportunities are stronger for Sony, he said, because it’s part of a wider entertainment group…

Chris Cooke • 14 Oct 2024

Spotify committed to work-from-anywhere policy, except on the night shift

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Spotify • 3 min read

Spotify committed to work-from-anywhere policy, except on the night shift

Spotify’s HR chief has revealed that the company’s work-from-anywhere policy, instigated during COVID, will stay in place, even though other tech companies are telling employees to return to their offices. She has also spoken about the impact of last year’s job cuts at Spotify…

Chris Cooke • 09 Oct 2024

The MLC and Spotify’s legal back-and-forth rumbles on as MLC says Spotify is “relying on new purported facts”

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Spotify • 2 min read

The MLC and Spotify’s legal back-and-forth rumbles on as MLC says Spotify is “relying on new purported facts”

The back and forth in the big bundling dispute between Spotify and US collecting society The MLC continues. Last month Spotify urged the court to dismiss The MLC’s lawsuit. In a new legal filing, The MLC argues that the legal standard for dismissal at this stage has not been met…

Chris Cooke • 23 Sep 2024

EU consumer group sues Apple for €62 million over ‘Apple tax’ price hike on competing music subscriptions

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Apple • 3 min read

EU consumer group sues Apple for €62 million over ‘Apple tax’ price hike on competing music subscriptions

In March the EU fined Apple €1.8 billion after concluding that rules the tech giant enforced against music apps were unlawful. Those rules meant consumers signing up to Spotify via its iOS app paid 30% more because of an Apple commission. A new lawsuit says Apple should now refund those commissions…

Chris Cooke • 19 Sep 2024

Spotify pilots new tools so parents can control how their kids experience the app

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Spotify • 2 min read

Spotify pilots new tools so parents can control how their kids experience the app

Spotify continues in its bid to be seen as a responsible platform protecting children that use its app. It is piloting new tools in three markets that allow parents to control managed accounts for their children within a family plan, so they can exclude certain content, artists and tracks…

Chris Cooke • 16 Sep 2024

Kobalt confident it will get out of paying Spotify’s legal bills in Eminem dispute on appeal

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Kobalt • 2 min read

Kobalt confident it will get out of paying Spotify’s legal bills in Eminem dispute on appeal

Last month Kobalt was told to pay Spotify’s legal bills in relation to the big copyright battle between the streaming service and Eminem’s publisher. Last week the judge declined to reconsider that ruling but cleared the way for Kobalt to formally appeal. It has now confirmed it is doing just that…

Chris Cooke • 11 Sep 2024

The MLC’s lawsuit is “nonsensical”, “meritless and wasteful” and “denigrates” authors and the entire audiobooks industry, says Spotify’s latest filing in bundling dispute

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Spotify • 3 min read

The MLC’s lawsuit is “nonsensical”, “meritless and wasteful” and “denigrates” authors and the entire audiobooks industry, says Spotify’s latest filing in bundling dispute

Spotify has asked a US court to dismiss the lawsuit filed against it by The MLC as part of the big bundling discount dispute. By claiming that the audiobooks access that is now part of Spotify Premium doesn’t have more than token value, the MLC is disrespecting book authors, Spotify argues…

Chris Cooke • 29 Aug 2024

Eight Mile Style’s rights had “fallen into confusion” says judge in damning dismissal of Eminem publisher’s lawsuit

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Eminem • 4 min read

Eight Mile Style’s rights had “fallen into confusion” says judge in damning dismissal of Eminem publisher’s lawsuit

In 2019, Eminem’s publisher sued Spotify for failing to properly license the rapper’s songs. A court has now dismissed the lawsuit, saying that although Spotify’s management of song royalties was “seriously flawed”, the publisher should have done more to rectify the issues before going legal…

Chris Cooke • 16 Aug 2024

Spotify adds pricing information into its iOS app in Europe

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Spotify • 2 min read

Spotify adds pricing information into its iOS app in Europe

Spotify has signed up to Apple’s revised App Store terms in Europe, which include changes forced by EU law, allowing it to promote subscription packages within its iOS app. However, there won’t be links to payment pages on Spotify’s website, because it still objects to Apple’s terms on commissions…

Chris Cooke • 15 Aug 2024

Apple's latest proposal “blatantly disregards” fundamentals of EU’s DMA, says Spotify

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Apple • 4 min read

Apple's latest proposal “blatantly disregards” fundamentals of EU’s DMA, says Spotify

Spotify and Epic are not impressed with Apple’s latest attempt to make its App Store rules around in-app payments compliant with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. New proposals offer more flexibility and lower fees, but Spotify and Epic claim the latest terms still violate European law…

Chris Cooke • 09 Aug 2024