After withdrawing her '1989' album, Popstar Taylor Swift proved in that she will not sit quietly with Apple Music's royalty-free policy.
Apple has launched its new music streaming service that will compete with Spotify, Rhapsody, and Deezer-and the three-month trial period is free. The catch is, the company did not plan to pay the royalties during that time.
As a response, Swift published "To Apple, Love Taylor" on Tumblr, asking the company to change their policy. "These are not the complaints of a spoiled, petulant child. These are the echoed sentiments of every artist, writer, and producer in my social circles who are afraid to speak up publicly because we admire and respect Apple so much. We simply do not respect this particular call," she says.
Although Apple will pay the artists after the trial period, the singer says that, "Three months is a long time to go unpaid, and it is unfair to ask anyone to work for nothing. I say this with love, reverence, and admiration for everything else Apple has done."
"I feel this deserves an explanation because Apple has been and will continue to be one of my best partners in selling music and creating ways for me to connect with my fans. I respect the company and the truly ingenious minds that have created a legacy based on innovation and pushing the right boundaries."
After Swift released her statement, Apple immediately change its course and confirmed that it will pay its full royalty rates during the free trial.
"When I woke up this morning and read Taylor's note, it really solidified that we need to make a change," Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet software and services, told New York Times.
In line with this, Swift immediately tweeted a response to the biggest music retailing company, saying, "I am elated and relieved. Thank you for your words of support today. They listened to us."
Taylor Swift's "1989" album includes hits "Shake it Off," "Blank Space," and "Bad Blood."
