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Celeb News: Spotify CEO talks Taylor Swift and why Spotify will last
ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 11/5/2011
Posts: 100,491
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Spotify CEO talks Taylor Swift and why Spotify will last
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek on Taylor Swift, His 'Freemium' Business Model and Why He's Saving the Music Industry
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“It’s hard to criticize someone who’s hugely successful,” says Daniel Ek. The Spotify CEO is sitting inside a diner-style booth, in one of the many thoughtfully placed nooks at the company’s 100,000-square-foot Manhattan office, the day after a May 20 press event during which he announced the service’s new music recommendation and video-streaming features. He’s not referring to himself. Although, as the 32-year-old co-founder of the world’s dominant music streaming service, he’s profoundly successful -- and as such, a prime target for musicians, major labels and maybe most pressingly, the richest company in the world, Apple. Ek’s talking about Taylor Swift, who in fall 2014 yanked her music off Spotify, calling the company a “grand experiment” that doesn’t fairly compensate creators of music. “I was a little surprised” by the attention Swift won for her cause, says Ek, who is Swedish. “But at the same time, I knew I was dealing with America’s darling.” Yet, he adds, it’s “ironic” that she’s not as massive a star in Sweden, “because all of her producers are Swedish.”
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The freemium debate has “been around since the beginning,” says Ek. “Do I think the future will not have any radio for free? Do I think you will not, in some shape or form, be able to enjoy music for free? No, I think you will, for a lot of different reasons.” Even today listeners can avail themselves of online radio sites like Pandora and stream almost any song they wish on YouTube. (YouTube plans to launch its own paid streaming music service, possibly before year’s end.) As soon as Swift quit Spotify, Ek points out, “Her YouTube streams went through the roof. What that tells me is the audience that was listening to Taylor Swift on Spotify went on YouTube to do it instead. Then you may ask, ‘Well, what was the benefit of it?’ ” (Jason Aldean was the only major artist to follow Swift’s lead, pulling his catalog from Spotify later in the same month and releasing a statement saying, in part, “I want everyone who is involved in making my music to be paid fairly.”)
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Ek’s tech optimism -- or at least, his Swedish reserve -- shines through when discussing the Apple threat. “Apple will probably be pretty successful, but it doesn’t have to be at the expense of Spotify,” he says, citing the sheer growth of smartphone use and the increase in streaming that he believes that growth guarantees. In fact, the rate at which Spotify adds subscribers has increased over time -- even immediately after Swift pulled her music from Spotify -- thanks, in part, to mobile use. “If we think of this as an opportunity instead of trying to maximize the piece of pie we have today, the music industry will be many, many times bigger, and there won’t be any arguments about how many percent we pay. When Apple starts doing streaming, streaming will start growing even faster.”
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Member Since: 5/7/2009
Posts: 53,753
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it’s “ironic” that she’s not as massive a star in Sweden, “because all of her producers are Swedish.”
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This is shade
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Member Since: 12/4/2010
Posts: 37,894
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He dragged her lowkey, d.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 3,126
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Goodbye Spotify in a week when Apple is launching their streaming service.
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Member Since: 8/18/2013
Posts: 21,558
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TS was their biggest promotie thus far
Her action 'against streaming' actually made it bigger
But it made her bigger too, so maybe it was all a stunt
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Member Since: 3/7/2014
Posts: 946
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so.... is he saying that she's local?
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Member Since: 11/17/2011
Posts: 52,363
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blasts I Will Survive in the background
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 11/5/2011
Posts: 100,491
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Quote:
Originally posted by RIHMASTER
so.... is he saying that she is local?
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No, he's saying that she isn't a massive superstar in Sweden.
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Member Since: 8/13/2012
Posts: 25,749
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He DRAGGED on the Sweden part
He is pressed, sorry
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Member Since: 9/1/2013
Posts: 17,203
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Yet, he adds, it's “ironic” that she’s not as massive a star in Sweden, “because all of her producers are Swedish"
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Member Since: 5/18/2012
Posts: 20,576
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Spotify will last. It's the only major player along with YouTube and soon to be Apple.
Taylor removing her music didn't matter in the end because you can stream her whole album on YouTube anyway. People want music if you remove it from streaming they'll just download it illegally. I rather get something rather than nothing at all.
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Member Since: 10/31/2011
Posts: 16,937
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Wow his bald head is SUCH a good look
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Member Since: 6/30/2012
Posts: 22,003
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it’s “ironic” that she’s not as massive a star in Sweden, “because all of her producers are Swedish.”
Girl literally just started working with max martin this era but try it anyways I guess.
On sweden itunes right now
13 Taylor Swift - Bad Blood (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
33 Taylor Swift - Style
70 Taylor Swift - Blank Space
78 Taylor Swift - Bad Blood
103 Taylor Swift - Shake It Off
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Member Since: 8/17/2013
Posts: 4,854
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Quote:
Originally posted by Faruhs
Goodbye Spotify in a week when Apple is launching their streaming service.
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Tidal teas
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 11/5/2011
Posts: 100,491
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Quote:
Originally posted by Faruhs
Goodbye Spotify in a week when Apple is launching their streaming service.
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Spotify really isn't going anywhere
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Member Since: 10/5/2009
Posts: 137,162
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I hope they don't survive. I don't know why but I've always had a bad taste in my mouth with Spotify, and not because Taylor dumped them. Plus, apparently their CEO is really pressed so that doesn't help.
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Originally posted by Tropez
Taylor removing her music didn't matter in the end because you can stream her whole album on YouTube anyway.
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Not the album tracks. Unless you like your songs pitched or covered by a fan.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 11/5/2011
Posts: 100,491
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Quote:
Originally posted by Ash12345
it’s “ironic” that she’s not as massive a star in Sweden, “because all of her producers are Swedish.”
Girl literally just started working with max martin this era but try it anyways I guess.
On sweden itunes right now
13 Taylor Swift - Bad Blood (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
33 Taylor Swift - Style
70 Taylor Swift - Blank Space
78 Taylor Swift - Bad Blood
103 Taylor Swift - Shake It Off
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Not you paying Red dust.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 8,079
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Not him doing another interview & using Lord's name for publicity yet again right before Apple launches their streaming service. Seems like they have him SHOOK.
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Member Since: 8/13/2012
Posts: 25,749
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Quote:
Originally posted by Great Username
Wow his bald head is SUCH a good look
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It's fitting considering what the Lord did to his company
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Member Since: 9/4/2008
Posts: 11,720
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He sounds pressed tbh.
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