Taylor Swift has written an open letter to Apple Music, defending the choice to prohibit her music from being streamed on the corporation’s new service. This news follows the recent confirmation that Swift will not be allowing the service to stream her latest hit album, 1989.
In the letter, which she published on her tumblr account today (21st June), Swift explained the reasons behind the choice to withhold her music from streaming services, such as Apple Music and Spotify. The singer also criticised the Apple corporation for their proposal to give new customers three months of free music.
Swift has prohibited her hit album, 1989, from streaming on several music services, including Spotify.
“I’m sure you are aware that Apple Music will be offering a free 3 month trial to anyone who signs up for the service. 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 noted.
Swift went on to argue that this act of protest is not just for her own benefit, but also for the many musicians who are not in as favourable a financial position as she is;
“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. This is about the producer who works tirelessly to innovate and create…but will not get paid for a quarter of a year’s worth of plays on his or her songs.”
Swift claims that her views are shared by many within the music industry who are “afraid to speak up publicly.” The singer concluded her letter with a simple statement; “Three months is a long time to go unpaid, and it is unfair to ask anyone to work for nothing […] We don’t ask you for free iPhones. Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation.”
Apple – whose aforementioned streaming service is set to launch at the end of the month – have yet to make a comment on the singer’s letter.
Swift meanwhile, is set to headline London’s Hyde Park festival on 27th June.
