BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Pop sensation Taylor Swift made waves over the weekend with an open letter titled “To Apple, Love Taylor” posted on her Tumblr page. Swift criticized the technology giant for their new streaming service, normally $10 a month, which offered a three month free trial for new customers.
“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,” Swift wrote. Instead of placing the focus on herself, Swift decided to spotlight independent and small-time musicians trying to break through.
“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.”
Enter Matthew Mayfield: a Birmingham-based independent musician who fits the bill for artists Swift was describing. Mayfield took to Facebook to thank Swift for her efforts. “Thank you, Taylor for looking out for us. We won’t survive if all these companies keep expecting us to make records for free.”
Mayfield told Yellowhammer Monday afternoon that most artists out there “don’t live the rock star life,” and described life as a musician as “a grind,” and “a working class gig.” The streaming services now available, particularly the free ones, have made life even more difficult. “It’s hard when you see a few thousand dollars shaved off of your income because the music is streaming. Its changed the landscape,” Mayfield said.
But it is not the idea or even existence of streaming services that artists like Mayfield take issue with. “I’m not saying that these services are bad,” he explained, “but there’s gotta be a way to fairly compensate the artist. The art we make isn’t free and records haven’t gotten any cheaper to make.”
As to how to find a compromise, Mayfield believes that the elimination of the free option could be the answer to make both sides happy. “I don’t think its too much to ask to have someone to pay ten dollars a month to listen to any record that’s ever been made whenever they want,” he remarked.
In the meantime, Mayfield recommends supporting up-and-coming musicians by buying tickets to shows, buying shirts, and buying records on vinyl or on iTunes. But it seems that the protests of Swift and artists like Mayfield have paid off. As of Monday morning, Apple says it will pay artists for music streamed during trial periods.
