Perhaps you do know that when you download songs, the artists do not benefit from that. Although, Taylor Swift can support her crew members and herself as she is working on her fifth album (as she wrote in her letter), she however stepped up and withdrew her album 1989 from Apple Music and wrote an open letter to the company, which she posted on Tumblr describing the troubles fledgling stars go through when the works of an artist are treated like charity.

She gave her letter a flattering start by calling Apple Music “the best partner in selling music” and ended her letter with “we don’t ask for free iphones [sic]. Please do no ask us to provide you with our music with no compensation.”

On receiving this letter, Apple Music responded immediately and announced that it will pay artists for music streamed during trial periods. Apple Music launches on 30 June. It will cost $9.99 (Rs 635.57 ) per month in the US for one person or $14.99 ( Rs 953.67) for families.

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You will probably relate to this letter more, if you are a nascent musician or part of a music band. She has acted as your foothold and echoed your sentiments. You may switch to another radio station when you hear her lyrics but here’s hoping you will not be able to switch to another website while reading her letter attached below.

Check out the letter and Tweets below.

To Apple, Love Taylor

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.

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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 realize 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

To which they got a Swift response.

You may not like her as a singer but you cannot help but respect her for speaking up.

“And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake!”

~ Shake It Off, Taylor Swift