Apple Bows to Taylor Swift, Reverses Royalties Policy on Music Streaming Trials

Apple bowed amid pressure from singer Taylor Swift and other artists to reverse its royalty payment policy for its Apple Music streaming service. Senior Vice President-Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue said Sunday that the company now plans to pay artists royalties for music streamed during the three-month trial period Apple is offering for the service. Apple Music is to launch June 30, with individual subscriptions costing $9.99 per month and six-user family subscriptions costing $14.99 per month. Apple’s original plan not to pay royalties on music streamed during the trial period was “shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company,” Swift said in a letter posted to her Tumblr Web page before Apple reversed its decision. “Three months is a long time to go unpaid, and it is unfair to ask anyone to work for nothing.” Cue acknowledged Swift’s letter, saying via Twitter that “We hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Love, Apple.” Apple said recently that it would pay 71.5 percent of revenue generated from the service to copyright owners for songs streamed in the U.S. (see 1506150073).