Why Spotify and Apple Music haven't pulled Kanye West's songs
/
“Is there an actual legal reason to do a takedown on his music? I don’t think so. The hate speech is not in his music. You don’t like this person? Don’t listen to his music. Don’t support him. Don’t let him make money.”
HELEN YU, ESQ
BY WENDY LEE, STAFF WRITER / OCT. 26, 2022 A week after Endeavor Chief Executive Ari Emanuel called for businesses to cut ties with the artist formerly known as Kanye West after his antisemitic remarks, companies such as Adidas and the Gap stopped working with him. But others, including streamers Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music, still feature Ye’s music on their playlists. Apple Music and Tidal, which also streams West’s music, did not respond to a request for comment. Amazon Music declined to comment. But industry analysts say the decision to take down Ye’s music is complicated by several factors, including contract requirements streamers may have with record labels and publishers, free speech considerations and whether it is appropriate to take action against an artist’s behavior outside of their music.
LA TIMES: Why Spotify and Apple Music haven't pulled Kanye West's songs
