Photo by MediaPunch/REX
You know you are at the top of the entertainment industry when you can make a company with the size and power of Apple change its ways, and that’s exactly what Taylor Swift did.
The 25-year old megastar wrote an open letter to Apple Music on Sunday, June, 21 explaining why she does not want her 1989 album on Apple’s new streaming, service Apple Music.
Pointing out that the service’s three month free trial period results in the artists losing three months of compensation for their work, she made sure to point out its not about her needing the money — she is using her voice to stand up for those who do need the money, including those behind the scenes.
“I’m not sure you know that Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months. I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company,” she wrote in the lengthy essay posted to her Tumblr titled “To Apple, Love Taylor.”
“This is not about me. Thankfully I am on my fifth album and can support myself, my band, crew and entire management team by playing live shows,” she continued. “This is about the new artist or band that has just released their first single and will not be paid for its success. This is about the young songwriter who just got his or her first cut and thought that the royalties from that would get them out of debt.”
Now Apple is letting Swift, other artists and fans know that they heard her loud and clear after they responded via Twitter only hours after she posted the letter. “#AppleMusic will pay artist for streaming, even during customer’s free trial period. We hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Love, Apple,” wrote Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services.
He also addressed the issue in an interview with Billboard stating, “When I woke up this morning and saw what Taylor had written, it really solidified that we needed to make a change. And so that’s why we decided we will now pay artists during the trial period.”