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TSwift: queen. AP/Press Association Images

Taylor Swift says Apple's new music service is "shocking, disappointing and completely unlike" the company

She says the decision not pay artists for three months is unfair.

TAYLOR SWIFT DOESN’T like streaming services.

She has famously eschewed Spotify and recently informed Apple that she won’t be making her catalogue of pop/country hits available to their new service.

This, of course, has led to the Grammy winner and all-round boss coming in for some criticism.

Today, however, the Shake It Off singer hit back, outlining why she doesn’t want to put her 1989 album on the computer giant’s Apple Music site.

In the letter, she writes that Apple Music’s decision to not pay musicians any royalties for its three-month free trial period is “shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company.”

While many have accused Swift of greed or money-grubbing, she says that she is taking the stand for new artists who “not be paid for [the site's] success”.

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 hope that soon I can join them in the progression towards a streaming model that seems fair to those who create this music. I think this could be the platform that gets it right.

Apple plans to pay music owners 71.5% of the service’s subscription revenue when the trial period is over, which they say is more than the industry standard.

TaylorSwiftVEVO / YouTube

The letter in full:

I write this to explain why I’ll be holding back my album, 1989, from the new streaming service, Apple Music. 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.
I’m sure you are aware that Apple Music will be offering a free 3 month trial to anyone who signs up for the service. I’m not sure you know that Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months. I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company.
This is not about me. Thankfully I am on my fifth album and can support myself, my band, crew, and entire management team by playing live shows. This is about the new artist or band that has just released their first single and will not be paid for its success. This is about the young songwriter who just got his or her first cut and thought that the royalties from that would get them out of debt. This is about the producer who works tirelessly to innovate and create, just like the innovators and creators at Apple are pioneering in their field…but will not get paid for a quarter of a year’s worth of plays on his or her songs.
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.
I realise that Apple is working towards a goal of paid streaming. I think that is beautiful progress. We know how astronomically successful Apple has been and we know that this incredible company has the money to pay artists, writers and producers for the 3 month trial period… even if it is free for the fans trying it out.
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 hope that soon I can join them in the progression towards a streaming model that seems fair to those who create this music. I think this could be the platform that gets it right.
But I say to Apple with all due respect, 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.Taylor

What do you think? Is TSwift right?


Poll Results:

Yes, artists should be paid (2729)
No, it's just money-grubbing (734)
Haters gonna hate, hate, hate (428)
Yes, she's a queen and is always right (287)

Read: Apple is launching its very own music-streaming service

Read: Spotify responds to Apple Music’s launch by saying it now has 75m users

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39 Comments
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    Mute LoyalIrish Citizen
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    Dec 26th 2011, 10:28 AM

    I agree with almost everything that you have written.

    My reasons for these things to happen, which allows them to get away with
    with what everybody knows to be wrong is the use of opinions in law.

    The purpose of using opinions in law is to commit crime, hide the details
    of the crimes, circumvent the rules and avoid prosecution.

    Irish Courts have been allowing the use of opinions over 8300 times since
    1922, which is in complete contradiction to people questioning evidence.

    The only way get the use of opinions in law to commit crimes is to falsify
    the rule books of Ireland.

    If you study opinions in law it will explain everything that you need to
    know, which you can get access to the laws of Ireland at the Attorney
    Generals website :- http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/home.html

    Regards

    LoyalIrishCitizen

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    Mute Pat Ambrose
    Favourite Pat Ambrose
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    Dec 26th 2011, 1:36 PM

    I have seen people getting jail for stealing groceries, yet the bankers, politicians, (some) get away scot free to rob and plunder all over again.

    23
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    Mute Dermot Purcell
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    Dec 26th 2011, 10:40 AM

    Your article nick on white collar crime is spot on except for you call it wrongdoing i call it FRAUD ,can you imagine if there was a real investigation in to the banks and seanie was in there spilling the beans on cowen and bertie judges and all the heads and top level managment of every institution in this country ,can people imagine the fall out and our image abroad would be in tatters, this is why nobody going to jail in this country .

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    Mute Ultan Quirke
    Favourite Ultan Quirke
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    Dec 26th 2011, 11:19 AM

    Our image abroad is already in tatters.

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    Mute Richard Coady
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    Dec 26th 2011, 11:24 AM

    Great article Nick. Engrossing as always. Would love to read something from you on the actual workings of bankruptcy and it’s day to day effects, what you can and can’t do. You allude to your direct experience with money lenders. Any chance of writing a book on your experience of post barings?

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    Mute Chris Coffey
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    Dec 26th 2011, 2:03 PM

    Brilliant stuff, as always. I’m starting to click into Nicks articles the minute I see his name. No better reading on here then the articles by people who know exactly what their talking about, not to mention his extra insight into the risks that people in finance can take.

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    Mute Joe Sixtwo
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    Dec 26th 2011, 12:13 PM

    Nice piece of work Nick.

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    Mute Jean Morel
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    Dec 26th 2011, 9:46 PM

    I said Ireland was a land of criminals way back in the mid 80′s.

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    Mute Ardo Ci
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    Dec 27th 2011, 10:28 AM

    Well said, Nick! Well said, indeed. Ireland is no longer the ‘ land of saints and scholars ‘ but rather the ‘ land of crooks and criminals’. The ordinary people don’t deserve what’ s happening. What we need now is an ‘Irish’ Cromwell to rise from among us.

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    Mute Sheila Murphy
    Favourite Sheila Murphy
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    Dec 28th 2011, 1:10 PM

    I must say I couldn’t agree more with the points he’s making about the tribunals; complete waste of millions & millions of Euros….. again no actions taken from any of them. Ridiculous set-ups.

    And I’ve seen the ads on UK TV to which he refers re the pay-day quick loans. Think about in whose hands those loans end up in, when you can’t afford to repay their exorbitant interest amounts??? You don’t think that they eventually don’t get sold on to very unscrupulous people who don’t care HOW they get their money back??? Very dangerous. And again it’s the most financially vulnerable that end up in these situations…….. very sad,

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    Mute Geoffrey Collins
    Favourite Geoffrey Collins
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    Dec 28th 2011, 10:16 AM

    Why is nick treated with such fawning when he was guilty of the same financial gambling as happened in Anglo? I enjoy his articles also but is there not a hint of kettle pot black?

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    Mute Sheila Murphy
    Favourite Sheila Murphy
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    Dec 28th 2011, 1:08 PM

    well he went to prison for it Geoffrey and served his time. More than has happened to the bankers here unfortunately. Depressing thought.

    It’s interesting to read an opinion of one who was there, so to speak.

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    Mute Felim O'Neill
    Favourite Felim O'Neill
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    Jan 6th 2012, 12:42 AM

    Question to Nick.

    It always interests me that the Financial Services professional view tends to be subjective and overly fascinated with itself.

    As a challenge, if you had a vision of “Next Gen” Capitalism, what would it look like? Hopefully as a thinking man, with all your training and experience, you might secretly have a vision for how stuff should work next time around. If so, please share it with us!

    While many agree we need to put checks/balances in place before next Bull Run, we need to put todays Bear on some sort of financial Prozac for the nerves.

    Hope and Vision please.

    Thanks again,

    Felim O’Neill

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