Spotify Newsletter #117

Your Weekly Dose of Spotify News

Jul 8

Hello and thanks for checking out issue #117 of the Spotify Newsletter!

It’s old news already, but I shall take a moment to comment on the predictable about-face of Crosby, Stills and Nash — now that their music can be streamed on Spotify once again, five months after the trio requested their labels remove their recordings in support of Neil Young‘s decision to leave the streaming service.

Ha! The big boycott lasted a whopping 5 months. It’s clear that the trio, or in some cases the companies that own the publishing rights, realized the whole thing is/was a joke, and it’s far better to keep the music accessible to millions of Spotify listeners.

They were foolish to link up with Neil Young’s asinine boycott, and now they’ve decided to come down from their perch and grace us with the pleasure of streaming their music on Spotify.

If Joni Mitchell were smart she’d be lined up right behind them.

All of these artists-gone-totally-mental could have ranted and raved about whatever the hell they were annoyed about and still let people listen to their stupid music on Spotify at the same time.

But no. They had take their (musical) ball and go home.

They hunkered down for the cause for all of 5 months. I think I’ll cue up Deja Vu while I finish typing this!

I love the music of all parties involved and delighted to be able to stream the music again - sans Young who is keeping up his ridiculous fight. He’ll be back. I just feel it. But this whole ordeal was a huge waste of time for all involved.

And on the Spotify / Barcelona FC partnership…. As a longtime Arsenal supporter, I am not about to shift loyalties over to the Catalan Giants, but now that Spotify is involved there might be a Barcelona/Spotify t-shirt (or two) in my future. :)

Onward and upward!

★In the SPOTlight★

🔥 Barcelona's ground is officially renamed the 'Spotify Camp Nou' as music streaming service teams up with Catalan giants

Barça and Spotify kick off strategic partnership that will unite music and sport.
Spotify will sponsor the club's senior and youth shirts as part of the arrangement
The Camp Nou site will also become an entertainment hub for the city of Barcelona, containing facilities to help boost the music and podcast scene in the capital of Catalonia.
Spotify will also be a key presence in making audiovisual content around the club's training sessions, to be published on Barcelona's social networks.

🔥 Crosby, Stills & Nash rejoin Spotify after 5-month protest of Joe Rogan

Crosby, Stills & Nash are back on Spotify in an apparent end to the classic rockers’ five-month protest of controversial podcaster Joe Rogan. The folk rockers, who pulled their library of songs off of the streaming platform in solidarity with ex-band member Neil Young, are reportedly planning to donate their earnings from streams to charities aiding those infected with COVID-19, according to Billboard.

🔥 Spotify Is Developing AI Tools To Hook Users On Music Creation

One tool will let you tweak a song’s rhythm or melody. Another can take the harmony of a pop song from, say, Justin Bieber or Drake and combine it with the melody and rhythm of a fugue by Schubert or Bach, if that’s your thing.
“You’ll be able to try all sorts of combinations,” says Francois Pachet, director of AI research and development at Spotify. “And it’s really fun.”