Spotify Fights Rate Hike for Artists Which Will Benefit Apple

Copyright Royalty Board has decided to raise the rate paid to songwriters by 44% over the next five years.

Spotify’s Battle Against Artists’Rate Hike Can Benefit Apple Music

(Photo Courtesy: Spotify)

The copyright royalty board in the United States of America is looking to raise the rates that music services pay to artists by 44 percent. Spotify, the market leader with a user base more than 80 million worldwide users, has been at the forefront to oppose this rate hike.

Apple, on the other hand, has no problem increasing the share for artists. According to a report by Variety, this can be Apples’s opportunity to make up ground, as it stands behind Spotify with 43.5 million subscribers.

The movement to oppose the 44 percent share, according to the Variety report, has been objected by Spotify, Amazon, Google and Pandora. Spotify, being the biggest service provider, is seeing backlash from musicians, with some taking it up on social media and cancelling their subscription, according to a 9to5Mac report.

Since music isn't Apple's main source of revenue, it wouldn't mind hiking the prices to keep the partners happy.

Since Apple has already surpassed Spotify in terms of paid subscribers, this move might further help it get a bigger user base that the latter.

(With inputs from Variety and 9to5Mac.)