iTunes Chart-Toppers (a/o February 21st):
It's not just death metal indies that aren't playing ball. On Wednesday, C|Net found out that Coldplay will not be licensing its latest album Mylo Xyloto to Spotify - or Rdio, Rhapsody, or any other on-demand streaming service*. Instead, Coldplay has been previewing tracks from the album on iTunes, and preparing a more traditional release.
C|Net journalist Greg Sandoval noted that EMI is "a little embarrassed" by the move, though the label hasn't offered a real
explanation. But it's probably a bit obvious at this point: payouts to actual artists remain a serious concern, and that also applies to the biggest, major label-signed superstars like Coldplay. Just yesterday, Rhapsody president Jon Irwin pointed to 'hundreds of millions' in royalty payouts to rights holders, which includes huge advances to major labels. But that money doesn't appear to be getting properly distributed to even the biggest signed artists.
In fact, a gigantic question-mark surrounds what artists should be getting paid in the first place. Other concerns abound, including higher payouts from physical formats and competing digital platforms like iTunes. And, there's some evidence that Spotify is cannibalizing discrete a-la-carte purchases from places like iTunes, which makes the case for withholding content all the more compelling - especially for a massive, sought-after group like Coldplay.
Increasingly, platforms like Spotify may not make sense from the artist perspective (or the indie label perspective, for that matter). And, this is a problem that goes far deeper than Coldplay, and could create continued problems for subscribers. The Arcade Fire is one of the biggest gaps on Spotify, though other 'problems' include Adele, whose catalog is only partially available.
Meanwhile, Spotify is assuming a defensive posture, especially given the size of this band. "Artists can – and do – receive very substantial revenues from Spotify, and as Spotify grows, these revenue streams will naturally continue to grow," a company executive promised Digital Music News. "Spotify is now the second single largest source of digital music revenue for labels in Europe (IFPI, April 2011) and we've driven more than $150 million of revenue to rights holders (ie whoever owns the music, be it artists, publishers or labels) since our launch three years ago."
*actually, turns out Deezer does have it (see comments below).
Comments Closed
Weeknd Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Weeknd don't have their music anywhere other than Soundcloud because they haven't officially released anything for sale.
paul Wednesday, October 26, 2011
I'd fire our researcher, but... then I'd be firing myself. Seriously, appreciate the quick info. /paul.
musicservices4less Thursday, October 27, 2011
Everyone should understand how the deal with the majors and Spotify and all other major label catalog agreements with third parties work under vis a vi an artist/production contract. It's really simple. The major labels get huge advances from the third parties. The artist/production company does not share in that advance unless the artist had the leverage to negotiate a portion of it in their contract. In over 50 years of the existence of the music industry, I sincerely doubt if any artist had that clause in their contract with a major. Maybe a handful, maybe, but I doubt it. So what does the major label do with it? Keep it for themselves. When does the artist get paid? When the third party reports sales/streams to the major label. Who else gets advances from the third parties? Nobody. Not independent labels, not consolidators, nobody.
benstauffer Thursday, October 27, 2011
Clarify this for me, though. I assume EMI actually owns the masters, so why does Coldplay even get to decide that they won't go to Spotify? I would think it is EMI's decision, yet they are supposedly "embarrassed."
Thanks in advance to anyone who explains--I am new to the business and thought I understood this part of licensing but doesn't sound that way from the article.
Label Guy Friday, October 28, 2011
While the label may actually own the music, many artists still require their consent for any (and especially this kind) of licensing. It's all more involved than most people realize. People love to blame labels for them not being able to stream something, but a lot of times it is the artists saying no. And then there is the circumstance where the artists will hide behind the label and make them play the bad guy when the artist is the one actually holding things up. And to the commenter above, Artists are paid enormous advances to record an album by their label. If they don't recoup that advance, what 'right' do they have to royalties? those royalties pay the label back for the advance they paid the artist in the first place.
@Jerome_Rastoldo Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Jérôme Rastoldo
The album is available on Deezer, though.
@air_in_gee Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Aaron Garrido
Power move? Stubborn botch?
@L_Pillin Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Lorene Pillin
Et ben alors Chrissou?
@JeroenHuijsdens Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Jeroen Huijsdens
Da's nou weer jammer...
@BenjiKRogers Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Benji Rogers
wow!
@ZedisDed Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Zed (is ded)
At their level they dont have to. The metal indie will see that it was a mistake to not license to Spotify.
CTyankee Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Coldplay asked Spotify, "What Exactly Are You Paying Artists?"
Ignacio Wednesday, October 26, 2011
OKay, so Coldplay is one of the biggest bands in the world. So, does this start an exodus of other bands?
steveh Wednesday, October 26, 2011
"Spotify is now the second single largest source of digital music revenue for labels in Europe (IFPI, April 2011)"
This cannot possibly be the complete truth as Spotify is not available in Germany (population 80 million), Italy (population 60 million), and many other Eupropean countries.
So what do they mean by "Europe"?
2nd largest single source Thursday, October 27, 2011
yes, its true.
Chinobi Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Guess Coldplay reads DigitalMusic News
ON the other hand... Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Some artists go in the completely opposite direction....
http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/digital-and-mobile/talib-kweli-s-idle-warship-project-debuts-1005399562.story
Imnotanumber Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Spotify, Mog, Rdio no but Deezer yes....how come????
Col Rein Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Good to see a band have integrity.
streaming sucks. low quality, experience is lame.
tom waits also said fuck you to streaming, like adele.
wow! musicians now have balls.
radiowaves Thursday, October 27, 2011
It's not CD quality, not even at premium bit rates (whatever they are). But still, the experience is far from lame. The breadth of music available to me on both my desktop and mobile for a reasonable price per month is amazing. I don't have to go dig into the crates to find that old CD i wanted to revisit and haven't copied to my MP3 player yet. It's brilliant. This is the celestial jukebox. Here and now.
Would I have checked out the Coldplay album if it was available for streaming, yes. Will I buy it without having heard it, or based on the single, or based on 30 second previews. Nope. I'll just move on to another album that is available.
Bought tickets to a show this Sunday. I plan to buy the t-shirt.
ryan Thursday, October 27, 2011
Same here. Why listen to Coldplay when Spotify offers so many others options. I've got a limited amount of time to check out new music and the easist place to do that is Spotify.
Coldplay's great but nobody's king anymore. Not when thousands of other options are available. This move is about money, about selling records. Bad PR for Coldplay and bad for fans.
Visitor Thursday, October 27, 2011
radiowaves, you can stream each song on the album for 90 seconds at iTunes. There is no excuse for not having enough preview sample time to explore music.
I don't believe you are true Coldplay fan. You are more an unlimited music access fan and obviously paying undervalued prices. All the music subscribers say they will attend a concert and buy a t-shirt which means their feelings are music itself is worthless. They aren't true music fans since they treat music like it is an unlimited commodity therefore its value is near zero.
/yves villeneuve
radiowaves Friday, October 28, 2011
hahaha, YV. Considering it's my money to spend, don't you think it's up to me to decide what is "enough" to make the choice to buy music? "no exuse"? really. LOL!
And you say "true Coldplay fan" like it's a badge or an award that can be taken away if I don't blindly buy every CD they release. How many CDs in your estimation do I need to have purchased to be considered a true fan? I own several by the way. But honestly I don't care whether you, the industry, other fans or Chris Martin himself consider me a "true fan", whatever that means to anyone. I enjoy good music, period. And there's more than plenty of it available on Spotify without this album, including the rest of the Coldplay catalog by the way.
That said, I really do hope they meet their sales targets and have an insanely profitable year!
Dinosaurs and dodos.
James Friday, October 28, 2011
If a 90 second preview isn't enough time to decide whether you like a pop song enough to spend 79p on it, frankly you don't deserve to own a pair of ears.
radiowaves Friday, October 28, 2011
We weren't really talking about buying a single pop song for 79p, but interesting opinion you have there, James.
Allie Shaw Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Even if Spotify, Rdio, Rhapsody, etc. each gave Coldplay $100,000 up front, it wouldn't make sense. They'll make millions from iTunes by forcing everyone there to make a real transaction.
This is about money. It's not that they're refusing to be on Spotify, what they're refusing to do is just let the consumer listen to their music for free.
This isn't Radiohead - they're not that type of band.
David_M Thursday, October 27, 2011
They won't drive people to iTunes...they'll drive people to steal it.
Visitor Thursday, October 27, 2011
You seem to be saying that Spotify users are thieves if they don't get what they want.
/yves villeneuve
If EMI held back they'd be DINOSAURS, destroying the future of music, fans and artists. But with Coldplay as the holdout, the tone here and on CNet is one of observation an interest. Totally absurd.
David_M Thursday, October 27, 2011
If Coldplay think that because they've boycotted a few streaming sites that their sales will go up, they are deluded...just like Metallica was when they refused to put their stuff on iTunes - and what? Now suddenly iTunes is the answer???
All this means is that File Sharing for the new Coldplay record will be higher.
Is everyone forgetting we are competing against "Free"?
"Mylo Xloto" not available on Spotify, but coming soon to a bit torrent site near you.!!
musicservices4less Thursday, October 27, 2011
David_M - Finally the real issue is being discussed. Took a while but now we can get down to it, if you have the balls. Let's see what you are saying, you are pretty straight forward about it. If I can't get it for free, I'll steal it. Right? Why? 'Cause you can? Why aren't you stealing other things? 'Cause you might get caught? Please respond so all those reading can understand your (and my) position on THE issue in the music business. And yes, it still is the issue.
David_M Thursday, October 27, 2011
I'm not saying that I am going to steal it, I'm saying that just because the band takes it off of a few streaming services, doesn't mean that sales on iTunes will increase (ie. There is no direct relationship that says that streaming services cannibalizes sales.)
In fact, one may argue that by providing it on a streaming service, you would reach an audience that wouldn't necessarily drop $15 on a CD they haven't heard, but because they heard it on a streaming service and liked it, that they went to iTunes to purchase it.
If you think that theory is ridiculous, than I say it's just as ridiculous to think that taking it off a streaming site will automatically increase sales.
People will get the content one way or another. Restriction is not a solution.
Full Disclosure: I have a job where the labels send me the album either physically or digitally - so I do not have to steal it.
MUSICSERVICES4LESS Thursday, October 27, 2011
I view Spotify and similar "services" as replacing the need to purchase recordings and here is simply why. I can listen to ANY song with Spotify on my computer, phone, etc. Why should I buy it? If I don't have to buy it, how is a label or individual artist who does not get an advance going to make money? If an individual artist wants their songs on Spotify go right ahead. But if it is in effect going to replace a sale, it sucks big time. Will it automatically increase sales? Probably not but only because there are too many other free alternatives, mainly piracy. Eliminate some of the piracy and the business dynamics change dramatically. People will get content but shouldn't it be legally and not illegally? Yes or no? If legally, get behind requiring all those businesses, especially the ISPs, to be REQUIRED to remove illegal or unlicensed content. Technically it can be done and it is not that expensive. Full disclosure - I work in the independent record business. I pay for and own my music that I want to listen to more than once. I don't use the services that devalue music causing recording artists and songwriters to sell tee shirts and mugs for a living.
HansH Thursday, October 27, 2011
Brilliant strategy!
Spotify turns former illegal downloaders into legal streamers.
Streamer cannot find the album on Spotify
What does he/she do? Buy the album... Yeah real ;)
@Perrine Thursday, October 27, 2011
Perrine Guyomard
1 raison de plus de les bouder
@jpotisch Thursday, October 27, 2011
Joel Potischman
All clear. You may safely resume using Spotify.
@maydbs Thursday, October 27, 2011
Maisa Dabus
I don't like it...
@RobertWLeung Thursday, October 27, 2011
Robert Leung
aww man.
@Fizzmatik Thursday, October 27, 2011
Fizzmatik
Spotify is NOT the future of music.
scratched discs Thursday, October 27, 2011
You're right, it's the present. Ownership is the past.
anon Thursday, October 27, 2011
Spotify paid $150 million to rights holders (mainly labels), but they were advances, which are not shared with artists. Artists only get a share of actual royalties credited to the label against the advance, which is miniscule.
By the end of these deals, the labels end up pocketing millions and artists get thousands (and that's only if they are one of the big ones). Just like the old record club deals.
If artists shared in the advances, we wouldn't be having these discussions, but that will never happen because the labels are too greedy.
Jimmy Thursday, October 27, 2011
That's the genius of major labels and why they love streaming and digital. The majors don't share the advances with anyone.
It's astounding. the money goes straight into the record companies account.
And it's not just Spotify, there are dozens and maybe hundreds of digital companies giving record companies advances.
This is a class action lawsuit waiting to happen.
billeeto Thursday, October 27, 2011
That's just what the label tells u when u try to negotiate the point: "this is just how it is, until litigation changes it."
@we7_clive Thursday, October 27, 2011
clive gardiner
still available on radio of course :)>
@psliker Thursday, October 27, 2011
Paul Sliker
Wasn't going to listen to it anyway.
@SaroMasbo Thursday, October 27, 2011
Saro Masbanajian
What's with Coldplay not accepting record biz changes? Spotify and Rdio are the future of music distribution.
steveh Thursday, October 27, 2011
No - they are not.
They are a time travel trip by digital means back to the 1920s when artists were exploited beyond belief....
Your "future of the music business":- it's bullshit.
@sxa555 Thursday, October 27, 2011
Stewart X Addison
Another act to boycott then ...
@ce_cile Thursday, October 27, 2011
Cécile
Adele a ouvert une looooongue voie.
Visitor Thursday, October 27, 2011
True Coldplay fans will pay outright for the album. There is no need for Coldplay to feel a sense of loss if a streamer does not want to buy the album and play by the rules. Streaming it for free or music theft, the difference is so slight it is irrelevant.
There is a new movement around the world where governments are clamping down on music theft. Hopefully, this movement persists beyond its completion and makes the music markets fair for all like any other market where theft and corruption is mostly under control.
/yves villeneuve
@Mark_Mulligan Thursday, October 27, 2011
Mark_Mulligan
blog post to follow from me later today
@gorankem Thursday, October 27, 2011
GoRankem
Gaping holes...
Londonmusicmapp Thursday, October 27, 2011
I could never understand why a band or more precisely a major band on a major label would put their new album up on spotify in the first few weeks of release.
if it is a crap album everyone will hear it and decide not to buy, if it is a great album Spotify can wait you weill still make the money.
Why not have a staggered release like Movies, - Cinema, Home Video, Pay Tv and then Free TV, with music it could be CD and other physical formats & Digital Download and single only on Spotify and the later release the album to Spotify and the other streaming services.
radiowaves Thursday, October 27, 2011
As much as I'd hate to see a staggered release schedule, since I love the experience of hearing new music the day it's released, it probably makes a lot of sense.
I suspect Warp Records might be trying out this strategy already. Took a few weeks for Plaid's new one to show up on Spotify. I don't think Battles was available right away either. Rustie is not there yet, but has been available for purchase for a couple weeks.
Nick Cooper Friday, October 28, 2011
That is a very good idea.
@sloanemusic Thursday, October 27, 2011
Sloane Ranger
Yep, Coldplay needs more money.
This makes sense.
#not
David Thursday, October 27, 2011
HELLO COLDPLAY/EMI....
It's NOT just about how much money you can SQUEEZE out of people.
D
JayJay Thursday, October 27, 2011
...but it IS about getting PAID for your music, and trying to make sure your creative work and effort is compensated.
All of which makes Spotify unworkable. You get NOTHING from your label, and nearly nothing from Spotify itself.
Visitor Thursday, October 27, 2011
sloane needs more music, yeah right.
/yves villeneuve
@AUMikeG34 Thursday, October 27, 2011
MG
Scared if they hear it first, they won't buy?
Visitor Thursday, October 27, 2011
90 second song streams are available on iTunes... plenty of listening time to make a decision whether to buy or wait for the next Coldplay album.
/yves villeneuve
Visitor Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Well, I never though Chris Martin and his hris team would get into a sticky situation with Spotify. The last thing Coldplay wanted was a friction with on demand streaming services. Anyway, I guess the reason could very well be because of the amount they might have demanded from Coldplay for doing the same. Both Vevo and Spotify are these days becoming too catchy in increased price range for online streaming services according to what some of the bands say.
radiowaves Thursday, October 27, 2011
Possibly. Metacritic metascore: 60 (mixed/average)
Visitor Thursday, October 27, 2011
Not defending the current Coldplay album because I haven't heard it yet, but professional critics don't necessarily (I would possibly say "don't often") mirror the musical tastes of the general population.
/yves villeneuve
radiowaves Thursday, October 27, 2011
Good point.
@Hiro_Saotome Thursday, October 27, 2011
Hiroki Saotome
C'mon Coldplay. Refusing rights to Spotify? You're better than that.
SamR @ Projekt.com Thursday, October 27, 2011
I am glad to see that more artists are realizing that Spotify, Rdio, etc are not the path forward.
Buck Thursday, October 27, 2011
None of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Warner Bros albums are on Spotify either. Obviously, when an artist has the clout they can prohibit such licenses...
@Evan_Guerin Thursday, October 27, 2011
Evan Guerin
As if I didn't think Coldplay were the biggest douches in the music business already.
@Monvids Thursday, October 27, 2011
Monvids Palens
where is the money?
@Uschi_No_Michi Thursday, October 27, 2011
Uschi
Die Spotify.
@musiciansrights Thursday, October 27, 2011
Music Supported Here
...and all the others. Adele's 21 also not there
Andy Thursday, October 27, 2011
that's a good point on Adele. she's never had her music on spotify and is the biggest seller of the last 10 years.
wait until Adele storms the grammy's in a few months.
Adele is going to sell at least 7 million copies with no streaming.
this should be the model of every artist.
musicalia Thursday, October 27, 2011
I'm not sure I would attribute this success to the lack of streaming options as much as the strength of the artist / single / album. There aren't that many Adele's out there. And remember, sales were generally down for longer than streaming has been around.......... :(
@kimschultzzz Thursday, October 27, 2011
kim schultz
I hate Coldplay. But good for you Coldplay! You Tell EM!
LK Thursday, October 27, 2011
Spotify, Mog, Rdio no
but Deezer YES.
CliffBaldwin Thursday, October 27, 2011
guess coldplay missed the boat ... all that hooplah about mixing specifically for itunes, and all they put up was more 256K aac files for sale. now apple promotes alac more i bet were going to have to buy the album all over again to get the good quality stuff. so apple
http://alac.macosforge.org/
CliffBaldwin Thursday, October 27, 2011
wow, the iphone 4s supports lossless (ALAC) too
somethings brewing clearly
http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html
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