is it time to tune out of Spotify?

Spotify is regarded as indispensable to many musicians with emerging artists often regarding it as valuable source of exposure - but it’s also been accused of being tightfisted when it comes to awarding royalties.

Last year it paid out more than $7bn US – around £5.7 bn – with more than 1,000 artists earning in excess of $1million each.

Sounds impressive doesn’t it? But more than half that $7billion – $4 billion - went to major record labels. 

There’ve also been complaints that Spotify’s podcasts allow for the spread of misinformation with Neil Young pulling his new music earlier this year after a Joe Rogan episode that question the safety of Covid vaccines.

Adrian Goldberg hears fromRob Pursey who runs the independent record label Skepwax and Mark Christopher Lee who tries to game Spotify’s algorithms with his band the Pocket Gods by releasing tracks of just over 30 seconds duration.

Spotify's Loud And Clear statement is here.

Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg.

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