When Taylor Swift makes a fuss, people listen.
Even $700 billion companies like Apple.
Swift, consistently in possession of the music industry’s balls, wrote an open letter to Apple yesterday to explain why she will be withholding her album, 1989, from the tech giant’s about to be launched music streaming service.
“Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for three months,” she wrote, referring to a three-month free trial period Apple is promoting to swoon customers. “I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company.”
She then urged for a response: “It’s not too late to change this policy and change the minds of those in the music industry who will be deeply and gravely affected by this. We don’t ask you for free iPhones. Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation.”
The response came just a few hours after Swift’s original post via Eddy Cue, a senior ally to Apply CEO Tim Cook.
We hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Love, Apple
— Eddy Cue (@cue) June 22, 2015
#AppleMusic will pay artist for streaming, even during customer’s free trial period — Eddy Cue (@cue) June 22, 2015
“When I woke up this morning and read Taylor’s note, it really solidified that we need to make a change,” said Cue in an interview with the New York Times, realizing 60 million Twitter followers and an album that sold 1.3 million copies in its first week is worth the price of being a reasonable corporation.
Swift responded by saying she was elated and relieved, and everyone had a great weekend after all.
Except for Swift’s photographers, who could do with a policy change of their own.
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