Spotify news

BMG is the latest publisher to agree direct licence with Spotify in the US

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BMG • 2 min read

BMG is the latest publisher to agree direct licence with Spotify in the US

BMG has agreed a direct licensing deal with Spotify covering its songs catalogue in the US. It follows the majors and Kobalt in agreeing a direct deal that circumvents the MLC-administered compulsory licence in the US market, in response to Spotify exploiting a bundling discount in that MLC licence…

Chris Cooke • 09 Oct 2025

Don’t say gruesome twosome: Ek steps sideways at Spotify to make way for not one but two new CEOs

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Spotify • 2 min read

Don’t say gruesome twosome: Ek steps sideways at Spotify to make way for not one but two new CEOs

Spotify is getting two new CEOs, with co-Presidents Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström being promoted to co-CEO roles as founder Daniel Ek steps aside to become Executive Chairman. Ek says the change in job titles more or less reflects the roles the three men are already performing at the company…

Chris Cooke • 30 Sep 2025

The MLC can submit amended lawsuit in battle over Spotify’s bundling tricks

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Spotify • 4 min read

The MLC can submit amended lawsuit in battle over Spotify’s bundling tricks

Earlier this year a judge dismissed with prejudice The MLC’s lawsuit over Spotify’s sneaky bundling tricks. However, the collecting society has other issues with how Spotify is using those tricks to reduce what it pays songwriters, and as a result the judge has said it can file an amended lawsuit…

Chris Cooke • 29 Sep 2025

Massive Attack pull music off Spotify over Ek’s weapons investments and join No Music For Genocide campaign

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Massive Attack • 3 min read

Massive Attack pull music off Spotify over Ek’s weapons investments and join No Music For Genocide campaign

Massive Attack are the latest band to join the boycott of Spotify in protest at CEO Daniel Ek’s involvement in weapons company Helsing. They have also joined up with more than 400 artists and labels to request their distributors geo-block Israel when delivering music to all streaming services…

Chris Cooke • 19 Sep 2025

Spotify agrees new deal with Sony Music Group that includes song rights in the US

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Spotify • 3 min read

Spotify agrees new deal with Sony Music Group that includes song rights in the US

Sony has announced a new licensing deal with Spotify. Like the other two majors, it will now directly license its songs catalogue in the US, where the streaming service previously relied on the MLC-administered compulsory licence, under which Spotify could apply a controversial bundling discount…

Chris Cooke • 18 Sep 2025

Spotify finally adds lossless audio to premium

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Spotify • 3 min read

Spotify finally adds lossless audio to premium

Spotify is finally adding lossless audio to its platform, something it has been promising since 2021, and which rival Tidal first offered in 2013. Despite rumours lossless audio might be part of Spotify’s planned higher price subscription product, it’s being rolled out to all premium subscribers…

Chris Cooke • 10 Sep 2025

Yet more artists announce Spotify boycott over demonetised music, AI fakes and Daniel Ek's defence investments

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Spotify • 3 min read

Yet more artists announce Spotify boycott over demonetised music, AI fakes and Daniel Ek's defence investments

The number of artists boycotting Spotify continues to increase, with 30+ Seattle music creators signing an open letter criticising the streaming service. They hit out at Spotify CEO Daniel Ek’s investments in the defence sector, but set out other grievances too, including over thresholds and AI…

Chris Cooke • 09 Sep 2025

Brace yourself: Spotify is convinced people want it to be a messaging app

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Spotify • 3 min read

Brace yourself: Spotify is convinced people want it to be a messaging app

Spotify is adding messaging to its app, functionality it previously removed in 2017. It means users will be able to recommend tracks, podcasts and audiobooks to friends within the platform. Spotify says its users have been asking for this functionality and “our goal is to give users what they want”…

Chris Cooke • 27 Aug 2025

Spotify’s ads business is “floundering”, according to Business Insider report

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Spotify • 4 min read

Spotify’s ads business is “floundering”, according to Business Insider report

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek recently admitted that the streaming service’s ad sales have been underperforming. Business Insider has spoken to advertising industry execs who say Spotify’s ad strategy to date has been “messy” and the value of its recent push into video ads is yet to be proven…

Chris Cooke • 22 Aug 2025

Turkish government makes up with Spotify as streaming service commits to open Istanbul office

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Spotify • 2 min read

Turkish government makes up with Spotify as streaming service commits to open Istanbul office

Last month there was speculation Spotify might pull out of Turkey because of tensions between the digital service and the country’s government. But Turkish Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy says a meeting took place this week to improve relations, with Spotify committing to open an Istanbul office…

Chris Cooke • 21 Aug 2025

Spotify launches new tool to add customised transitions to playlists

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Spotify • 1 min read

Spotify launches new tool to add customised transitions to playlists

Spotify is adding new functionality to allow users to add customised track transitions to playlists they create on the platform. It’s not clear if this is in any way connected to the remixing tools Spotify was rumoured to be developing as part of its long awaited higher priced super premium product…

Chris Cooke • 19 Aug 2025

Boycotts agogo as Godspeed You! Black Emperor pull music from streaming platforms, and Neil Young cuts off Meta

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Digital services and platforms news • 2 min read

Boycotts agogo as Godspeed You! Black Emperor pull music from streaming platforms, and Neil Young cuts off Meta

Following a flurry of bands boycotting Spotify over Daniel Ek’s investments in the defence sector, Godspeed You! Black Emperor have pulled their music from the platform. However, they also seem to be boycotting other streaming services too. Meanwhile Neil Young is now officially boycotting Facebook…

Chris Cooke • 18 Aug 2025