Reasons Why Artist Left Spotify

Reasons Why Artist Left Spotify

Spotify has been in the news a lot lately, and not for good reasons. Several high-profile artists have pulled their music from the platform, citing low payouts and unfair compensation. In a recent interview, Thom Yorke of Radiohead criticized Spotify, calling it “the last desperate fart of a dying corpse.” He went on to say that the company pays out just $0.007 per stream, which amounts to a mere $2,000 for an album that has been streamed 10 million times.

Other artists who have pulled their music from Spotify include Taylor Swift, Adele, and Prince. Swift famously pulled all of her music from the platform in 2014, citing the low payouts and unfair compensation. While Spotify has disputed these claims, many artists remain unhappy with the way the company compensates them. As streaming becomes more and more popular, it’s likely that we’ll see more artists pulling their music from Spotify and other streaming platforms.

what artists have left spotify

In recent years, a number of high-profile artists have pulled their music from Spotify, often in protest of the streaming service’s free tier. Some of these artists include Taylor Swift, Adele, Thom Yorke of Radiohead, and Kanye West. While some have since returned to the platform, others continue to hold out. Here’s a look at some of the most notable artists who have left Spotify.

Taylor Swift was one of the first major artists to pull her music from Spotify, doing so in November 2014. She cited concerns about artist compensation as her reason for leaving, saying that “music should be passion and art, not business.” In June 2017, after much speculation, Swift finally returned to Spotify with her album “Reputation.”

Lack of artist compensation

Lack of artist compensation has also been cited by Adele and Thom Yorke of Radiohead as reasons for pulling their music from Spotify. In 2015, Adele refused to put her album “25” on any streaming service, including Spotify. She said that she didn’t believe that new artists should “give their music away.” Thom Yorke has been critical of Spotify for years, calling it “the last desperate fart of a dying corpse.” He has said that the company pays out just $0.007 per stream, which amounts to a mere $2,000 for an album that has been streamed 10 million times.

Prince was another high-profile artist who pulled his music from Spotify. In July 2015, he removed his entire catalogue from the platform, saying that he didn’t believe in the “free” model. He later returned to Spotify with a “purple subscription plan,” which allowed users to pay a monthly fee to listen to his music.

Limited creative control

Some artists have also cited limited creative control as a reason for leaving Spotify. In 2016, Björk pulled her album “Vulnicura” from the platform, saying that she was “disappointed” with the way it was being presented to users. She later returned to Spotify with a new album, “Utopia,” which she released as a pay-what-you-want download.

Declining revenue

Finally, some artists have pulled their music from Spotify due to declining revenue. In 2017, Mumford & Sons said that they were pulling their music from the platform because it was no longer “financially viable” to keep it there. The band later released a statement clarifying that they still support streaming, but they want to “encourage fans to buy records again.”

As streaming becomes more and more popular, it’s likely that we’ll see more artists pulling their music from Spotify and other streaming platforms. While some have returned after negotiating better deals, others continue to hold out in protest of the low payouts and lack of creative control. Only time will tell how this will affect the future of the music industry.

Greg Baskerville
Greg Baskerville
Gaming Blogger & Musician. Playing games since the Amiga days in the 1980's, and a handy guitarist.

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