By — Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/taylor-swift-yanks-music-spotify Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Taylor Swift breaks up with Spotify Arts Nov 3, 2014 1:47 PM EDT Following her decision to not put her new album “1989” on Spotify last week, singer Taylor Swift has now removed all of her albums from the music streaming service. In a cheeky open letter to the pop star published Monday, Spotify said they hope Swift will “change her mind and join us in building a new music economy that works for everyone.” All five of Swift’s albums, except for her contribution to “The Hunger Games Soundtrack,” disappeared from Spotify’s catalog this morning. “We believe fans should be able to listen to music wherever and whenever they want, and that artists have an absolute right to be paid for their work and protected from piracy,” Spotify wrote. “That’s why we pay nearly 70 percent of our revenue back to the music community.” With her new album on track to shatter first-week records, it remains unclear why Swift’s music was pulled. In July, Swift wrote an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, bemoaning the advent of free music services, including piracy, file sharing and streaming. “It’s my opinion that music should not be free,” Swift wrote, “and my prediction is that individual artists and their labels will someday decide what an album’s price point is. Hope they don’t underestimate themselves or undervalue their art.” Last year, it was revealed that Spotify paid artists an average of $0.007, less than a penny, per play. Previously, Swift’s last album “Red” wasn’t readily available on Spotify upon its release. Other artists have long protested Spotify’s business model. Currently, Spotify has a playlist titled “What To Play While Taylor’s Away,” with all the weight of a jilted lover. By — Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas is a senior editor for the PBS NewsHour's Communities Initiative. He also the senior editor and manager of newsletters. @Josh_Barrage
Following her decision to not put her new album “1989” on Spotify last week, singer Taylor Swift has now removed all of her albums from the music streaming service. In a cheeky open letter to the pop star published Monday, Spotify said they hope Swift will “change her mind and join us in building a new music economy that works for everyone.” All five of Swift’s albums, except for her contribution to “The Hunger Games Soundtrack,” disappeared from Spotify’s catalog this morning. “We believe fans should be able to listen to music wherever and whenever they want, and that artists have an absolute right to be paid for their work and protected from piracy,” Spotify wrote. “That’s why we pay nearly 70 percent of our revenue back to the music community.” With her new album on track to shatter first-week records, it remains unclear why Swift’s music was pulled. In July, Swift wrote an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, bemoaning the advent of free music services, including piracy, file sharing and streaming. “It’s my opinion that music should not be free,” Swift wrote, “and my prediction is that individual artists and their labels will someday decide what an album’s price point is. Hope they don’t underestimate themselves or undervalue their art.” Last year, it was revealed that Spotify paid artists an average of $0.007, less than a penny, per play. Previously, Swift’s last album “Red” wasn’t readily available on Spotify upon its release. Other artists have long protested Spotify’s business model. Currently, Spotify has a playlist titled “What To Play While Taylor’s Away,” with all the weight of a jilted lover.