Musixmatch has a free, public database where lyrics are displayed. To contribute to the database, users can sign up and contribute lyrics, synchronizations, translations, and structuring to get points and move up levels. Musixmatch’s points have no redeemable value, but are instead a marker of a particular user’s contributions.
It is fucked up that the fans who are transcribing do not get a cut, but it’s not like they were misled to believe they would make a cut before they started doing it. The people doing that are doing it out of a passion for the music.
I’m not saying they shouldn’t be paid of course they should, if it was up to me I’d say make them all rich. I just think it’s a stretch to imply that Spotify is stealing anything here
Musixmatch does have a paid contributor system. A friend of mine actually just did the assessment for it this evening. I’ll report back what the rate is when she tells me.
The writers almost certainly do get a cut. Musixmatch does not own the copyright to any of the lyrics, and as such, negotiated with the copyright holders in order to be allowed to store, display, and sell access to the lyrics. This almost certainly involved some amount of money changing hands.
Spotify is paying money for access to the lyrics and using that as a feature in their product. A chunk of that money is almost certainly going back to the actual writers.
So no?
You as an individual can go access the public free database. Spotify as a corporation is a customer of musixmatch.
https://about.musixmatch.com/business/customer-stories/Spotify
I’m not sure what exactly you’re trying to say?
Spotify is receiving money for something they did not create.
Neither the writers of the lyrics nor the fans who transcribed them get a cut.
That is fucked up.
It is fucked up that the fans who are transcribing do not get a cut, but it’s not like they were misled to believe they would make a cut before they started doing it. The people doing that are doing it out of a passion for the music.
I’m not saying they shouldn’t be paid of course they should, if it was up to me I’d say make them all rich. I just think it’s a stretch to imply that Spotify is stealing anything here
I like stealing. According to my belief system theft is good.
It’s the fact Spotify is charging users for something stolen is what I think is fucked.
Something stolen should be freely shared.
Musixmatch does have a paid contributor system. A friend of mine actually just did the assessment for it this evening. I’ll report back what the rate is when she tells me.
The writers almost certainly do get a cut. Musixmatch does not own the copyright to any of the lyrics, and as such, negotiated with the copyright holders in order to be allowed to store, display, and sell access to the lyrics. This almost certainly involved some amount of money changing hands.
Spotify is paying money for access to the lyrics and using that as a feature in their product. A chunk of that money is almost certainly going back to the actual writers.