Taylor Swift's Apple Music Letter Surprised Her Record Label, but Pushed Talks 'Over the Edge'

[Iconoclysm]

“Artist Friendly, Artist First” isn’t Jimmy’s philosophy because if it was, they would’ve never had to fight about these royalties to begin with. I’m a musician, and I’m usually “All Apple, All the Time” but let’s not all just forget that they originally tried to get away with this.

"Get away with" what?! This is a short term 3 month thing that ends up with Apple paying more royalties than any other company ever has. Apple didn't HAVE to do that, they could have just matched everyone else...and charged end users even less. They weren't robbing anyone, this wasn't even really the dick move it's being made out to be.

 

[Iconoclysm]

This article calls out Swift's letter as "scathing". The letter was not scathing in any way.

 

[atheist.]

Taylor Swift if pure evil. If you fall for that super nice facade I feel badly for you. Her songs are oddly catchy though, but they fade fast...

What I love about all this is how everyone is claiming Swift is a saint, but all she really is doing is pimping her music out to the service that pays her the most. When there is a threat to her monetary gain, she issues a Tweet or "open letter", and she secures millions of more profit, period.

"Taylor Swift Inc." couldn't care if indie artists gets paid during a trial period of Apple Music, "Taylor Swift Inc." wanted their rightful dues, period.

I'm sure you are furious that a billion dollar company couldn't line their pockets even more. Because really who cares if the thousands of independent artists around the world get a fair payment for their work. Of course, Apple needs the money more than they do. Swift may have wanted to line her own coffers but let's not forget that many other independent artists also benefited from her move.

 

[0098386]

What I love about all this is how everyone is claiming Swift is a saint, but all she really is doing is pimping her music out to the service that pays her the most. When there is a threat to her monetary gain, she issues a Tweet or "open letter", and she secures millions of more profit, period.

"Taylor Swift Inc." couldn't care if indie artists gets paid during a trial period of Apple Music, "Taylor Swift Inc." wanted their rightful dues, period.

I agree, as opposed to Apple who don't do anything to maximise the amount of money they make. Can you imagine if they started taking subscription money from services they don't even run? Apple would never be so penny pinching.

 

[CFreymarc]

Classic "blame it on the court jester" tactic where she was just following the label's game plan to close this deal.

The label received the deal they wanted, the front act keeps their edgy / avant-guarde reputation and everyone profits.

 

[CFreymarc]

Taylor Swift if pure evil. If you fall for that super nice facade I feel badly for you. Her songs are oddly catchy though, but they fade fast...

Wouldn't say pure evil but those whom been around her when the cameras are off, that sweetness and light she wears in public comes off real quick behind closed doors. Notice you never see any video of her in post production next to the mixing board.

 

[LucasEVille]

Do we really need to feed this little girl's ego anymore?

 

[Paradoxally]

Wouldn't say pure evil but those whom been around her when the cameras are off, that sweetness and light she wears in public comes off real quick behind closed doors. Notice you never see any video of her in post production next to the mixing board.

Do you know her personally to make statements of that nature?

Taylor Swift is no angel but she has more than the odd video of her personal life on social networks. That I can assure you.

 

[CFreymarc]

What I love about all this is how everyone is claiming Swift is a saint, but all she really is doing is pimping her music out to the service that pays her the most.

What really gets me about this minx is she gets so much publicity for her "acts of kindness" at children's hospitals and crashing fan parties. What is she compensating for here?

I know several of the biggest hardcore metals groups visit fans messed up at hospitals with gifts and didn't do any press releases over it.

While metal musicians look mean and nasty, most (that's most and not all) have a heart of gold and will take a bullet for you.

 

[CFreymarc]

Do you know her personally to make statements of that nature?

Taylor Swift is no angel but she has more than the odd video of her personal life on social networks. That I can assure you. And she is no villian.

I do not quote my sources here but I have a good deal of professional experience in the music business. Still have a lot of contacts and trust the options of many who have been around her.

 

[Paradoxally]

What really gets me about this minx is she gets so much publicity for her "acts of kindness" at children's hospitals and crashing fan parties. What is she compensating for here?

I know several of the biggest hardcore metals groups visit fans messed up at hospitals with gifts and didn't do any press releases over it.

While metal musicians look mean and nasty, most (that's most and not all) have a heart of gold and will take a bullet for you.

Metal is not mainstream and does not appeal to the majority of teens, that's why.

 

[bbeagle]

Well played Apple and Taylor, well played. The claims of spontaneity are almost believable.

And some people believe everything is a conspiracy.....

 

[Paradoxally]

I do not quote my sources here but I have a good deal of professional experience in the music business. Still have a lot of contacts and trust the options of many who have been around her.

Who, Bob Lefsetz? I can only imagine how bitter the old man must still be...

 

[hlfway2anywhere]

"Get away with" what?! This is a short term 3 month thing that ends up with Apple paying more royalties than any other company ever has. Apple didn't HAVE to do that, they could have just matched everyone else...and charged end users even less. They weren't robbing anyone, this wasn't even really the dick move it's being made out to be.

They were going to stream mine and other musicians and songwriters music to promote their service without paying us for it. That's what.

 

[Paradoxally]

The only people who are mad at Taylor Swift, conspiracy theorists aside (and even then, some are intrigued by this whole ordeal) are people who have a bitter hatred for Swift and, by default, musicians in general (basically trolls). People should have been mad at Apple for not even doing this in the first place.

You don't have to love Swift, you don't even have to care about her, but there is no denying her impact...even if this was a PR stunt.

 

[bbeagle]

What really gets me about this minx is she gets so much publicity for her "acts of kindness" at children's hospitals and crashing fan parties. What is she compensating for here?

Maybe she really likes doing it?

I sing Christmas carols at retirement homes - it makes me feel good to warm many people's day. People really DO do things good for others 'just because'

 

[ralphdaily]

I think Taylor Swift is fine. I like her music, she seems smart and probably is at least as nice as most of the commenters here.

 

[bbeagle]

Wouldn't say pure evil but those whom been around her when the cameras are off, that sweetness and light she wears in public comes off real quick behind closed doors. Notice you never see any video of her in post production next to the mixing board.

If she does stuff behind closed doors that nobody knows about, you don't know either. You're just making up stuff because you don't like her

 

[flur]

I do not quote my sources here but I have a good deal of professional experience in the music business. Still have a lot of contacts and trust the options of many who have been around her.

Well look at that, she's not sweetness and light 100% of the time, which makes her...human? LOL. None of us are sweetness and light all the time. Not to mention, how many good businesspeople are super nice and glowy every second of their lives? Or yanno, ANY second of their lives? That makes her better than most.

People like to bag on Swift because they're jealous, both of her success and her ability to have that success and still be a better person than most. Gotta tear it down to feel good about themselves.

 

[doug in albq]

I have not read all the replies here yet, but...

I seriously doubt the truthfulness of the title of the original article.

I was actually thinking about this the other day and...

If anything, Taylor Swift was, in fact, acting as the mouthpiece for the record labels. The record execs. put her up to this task.

 

[gbc204]

"Don't be mad..."
Like she could do anything to get the label mad at her. She could literally set a dozen kittens on fire and throw them at the pope and the label would never drop her.

 

[Talarspeed]

 

[Paradoxally]

"Don't be mad..."
Like she could do anything to get the label mad at her. She could literally set a dozen kittens on fire and throw them at the pope and the label would never drop her.

Except she loves cats, so it would have to be goats.

 

[hbt15]

I find it amusing that the same people that hate on Taylor Swift for trying to get herself paid are the same people that don't blink twice when it comes to buying or defending Apple products and the paying of the "apple tax".

Everyone with half a brain knows Apple products are no longer worth the over inflated prices they charge. 5 years ago when they were out the front all on their own in just about every product category that mattered....yes, definitely. I happily paid. These days though? There is plenty of as good competiton that costs a lot less in basically every category.

If anything Taylor Swift is like the Apple of those days. She should be charging a premium now why she can. As far as fan base and popularity she is miles and miles in front of anyone else, with the exception of perhaps Katy Perry. It won't last forever though so why shouldn't she take advantage why she can? I don't personally like her music but i can't be mad at what she's done here.

 

[brinary001]

Apple Music became the first and only streaming music service to offer Swift's most recent album, 1989.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but she originally had the album on Spotify and then pulled it, no?