Their open letter (opens in new tab) – which demands a penny per stream rate, and would put Spotify payments on par with Apple Music – has gained over 28,000 signatures thus far.

In the US, The Union of Musicians and Allied Workers orchestrated a “Justice at Spotify” campaign, which mobilized protests at Spotify offices in 31 cities across the world.

Representatives from across the UK music industry – from label managers to working musicians – submitted impassioned evidence that they feel that Spotify’s current rates of payment (between $0.03 - $0.05 per stream) is not fair recompense for their work, and that Spotify’s current operating model creates a toxic ‘winner takes all’ market, where superstars are rewarded with vastly inflated profits while smaller artists struggle to make a living. In the UK, Spotify (and other streaming services) have come under intense scrutiny, resulting in a high-profile inquiry into the economics of streaming in the House of Commons. While some may argue that a price increase is long overdue, it’s a strange time for Spotify to announce the hike. How has the price increase been received?

Spotify monthly cost