cm2012 a day ago

Ageee with you, this release is obviously a scummy thing to do.

Same as if someone released every book on Kindle for free. There are rules. Project Gutenberg is great. They don't just steal every book they can.

Not to mention the organization is openly trying to profit from this data by selling it to big tech orgs for AI training! None of the artists consented to that, I am sure, to say nothing if Spotify's interests.

On top of that they beg for donations.

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OsrsNeedsf2P a day ago | parent [-]

You don't think that would be a good thing?

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cm2012 a day ago | parent [-]

Everyone should just download all art, music and literature for free. Musicians, artists and writers can all make money some other way while I enjoy the works of their efforts.

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barnabee 16 hours ago | parent [-]

Unironically yes?

Many artists already work this way. They are on Spotify et al. for reach not because it does anything meaningful for them financially. It’s not like your subscription fee is distributed fairly to the artists you listen to anyway[0].

To the extent they make money at all, it’s from touring, and selling physical media and merch.

The world under Spotify is about as financially bad for most artists as if everyone was pirating away.

If we all quit Spotify, pirated everything, and spent the money we saved buying things from the artists we were enjoying the most (from their own sites, Bandcamp, or at concerts), the artists and musicians would be much better off.

[0] Unless you only listen to the big stars who end up getting most of the payouts.

	▲	locusofself 8 hours ago \| parent [-]
		My wife is in her 40s, doesn't tour anymore, and makes a good chunk of her income from spotify.