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Spotify<\/a> CEO Daniel Ek triggered backlash from the music industry last week when he said the cost of creating content is \u201cclose to zero,\u201d prompting him to clarify his remarks on Sunday.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a post on May 29, Ek mused that society is witnessing a resurgence of Stoicism, a philosophy adopted by Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. But he started off by irritating some of the musicians that contribute to his platform.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cToday, with the cost of creating content being close to zero, people can share an incredible amount of content. This has sparked my curiosity about the concept of long shelf life versus short shelf life,\u201d Ek tweeted on X<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Today, with the cost of creating content being close to zero, people can share an incredible amount of content. This has sparked my curiosity about the concept of long shelf life versus short shelf life. While much of what we see and hear quickly becomes obsolete, there are\u2026<\/p>\n \u2014 Daniel Ek (@eldsjal) May 29, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Musicians, songwriters, and producers, among others, immediately took to social media to criticize Ek\u2019s comments, with some pointing out the considerable cost associated with music, including for training, equipment, and production.\u00a0<\/p>\n In reply to Ek\u2019s post, New Age artist Cheryl B. Engelhardt said she has put thousands of dollars into making her music.<\/p>\n \u201cI created my Grammy-nominated album on a cross-country train, completely produced and mixed it myself,\u201d said Engelhardt. \u201cI was able to do that because of the thousands of $$ spent on quality sounds, my education, my gear, etc. Please get a clue and maybe talk to REAL musicians.\u201d<\/p>\n Another Indie artist, Shimmer Johnson, called Ek \u201cout of touch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t say stuff if you have no actual proper anything to compare it to !!! Great you\u2019re a billionaire off of everyone else\u2019s hard work and time !! Congrats,\u201d Johnson wrote.<\/p>\n On Sunday, Ek tried to clarify his comments, saying that his earlier definition of content was \u201cclumsy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI understand how it came across as very reductive and that wasn\u2019t my intent. Just to clarify \u2013 my original point was not to devalue the time, effort, or resources involved in creating meaningful works, whether it\u2019s music, literature, or other forms of creative expression,\u201d Ek wrote in the post.<\/p>\n He added that the cost of \u201ccreation tools\u201d like microphones, laptops, and cameras has come down, leading to a surge in the amount of content people can produce.<\/p>\n Spotify has been criticized<\/a> in the past for not paying artists, especially smaller musicians, their fair share for their content. Ek\u2019s comments also come as Spotify announced its second price hike in a year<\/a> on Monday. Individual U.S. subscribers will now pay $11.99, or $1 more per month, for ad-free streaming.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis update will help us continue delivering value to fans,\u201d Spotify said in a statement.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the company reported a record profit<\/a> in the first quarter following cost-cutting measures last year that saw it lay off more than a quarter of its employees and scale down<\/a> plans for its podcast business, in part by cutting original shows.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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