After a source shared the contract that Apple Music was offering independent record labels, we wrote about Apple’s insistence that no money would be paid to rightsholders during the 90 day free trial of its new subscription music service launching on June 30th.
Apple’s iTunes is among the top sources income for most labels; and 90 days without income while, as expected, millions shift from downloads to subscription streaming could cripple many independent labels.
U.S. indie music trade group A2IM cautioned its members to think twice before signing the current deal offered by Apple,
“…Independent rights holders will receive no compensation for their content during Apple Music’s 90-day free trial period. It is surprising that Apple feels the need to give a free trial as Apple is a well-known entity, not a new entrant into the marketplace. Since a sizable percentage of Apple’s most voracious music consumers are likely to initiate their free trails at launch, we are struggling to understand why rights holders would authorize their content on… read more