NewsOctober 20, 2015 12:32 PM ET13,012 views

Spotify pulls Victory Records releases amid dispute

Streaming music service Spotify has removed thousands of songs by bands currently or previously signed to Victory Records due to a dispute over publishing royalties. Victory has issued this statement:
"Victory Records' catalog of music was pulled from Spotify last night as a result of Spotify not properly paying publishing revenues due to Victory Records' artists in blatant violation of US Copyright laws. Spotify also pulled down a very large number of albums that Victory is not the publisher for proving that their internal systems are inadequate. We asked that our catalog not be pulled, that we would amicably work with Spotify, and they haphazardly removed our content regardless. 53,000,000 streams, as per Spotify's statements, were identified with no publishing royalties being paid by Spotify. "Late yesterday, Spotify sent over a document giving them mechanical clearance to use our music. We could not sign said document for a variety of reasons, most importantly, that it would put us in direct violation of our agreement with Audiam. Spotify knows we are in business with Audiam and were essentially asking us to breach/ignore that agreement. The issue of nonpayment for songwriters and composers is a widespread problem and not exclusive to Victory Records' artists. We understand your frustration with not being able to listen to the music you enjoy (and most pay for via subscription). "The bottom line is that artists and songwriters are not being paid and fans of Victory's artists cannot listen to the music. "Thank you for your support and we remain hopeful that Spotify will do the right thing."
UPDATE: Billboard has published additional details and background information regarding the dispute. Notably, Billboard says that Victory is owed mechanical royalties for 2,183 songs, totaling roughly $23,000:
Using Spotify's royalty statements on Victory Records' master recordings, and comparing those statements from 2012 through September 2015 against publishing royalty statements made to Another Victory over the same period, Audiam found that, of the 3,245 recordings that Another Victory holds a stake in, only 1,062 had received payment from Spotify. That leaves 2,183 songs in which Another Victory has a publishing stake but that did not receive mechanical royalty payments, accounting for 53 million total streams for those songs. Billboard estimates that, at a blended mechanical rate for the ad-supported and premium services of $0.00043 per stream, the amount left unpaid comes to nearly $23,000.
Contacted for comment, Spotify told Billboard that they "are working to resolve the issue."

40 comments

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anonymous 10/20/2015 9:42:01 AM

like victory really gives a damn about paying their artists

anonymous 10/20/2015 9:51:51 AM

Haha karma is a bitch.

anonymous 10/20/2015 9:53:01 AM

Pulled by Spotify due to severe lack of Djent offerings in said catalog. RDC

anonymous 10/20/2015 9:58:12 AM

regardless, spotify sucks. i want google play on my ps4. stream flip x1000

anonymous 10/20/2015 10:16:17 AM

Hey ***Hole quit beating me to the punchline The real Ray "Djent" Clark

anonymous 10/20/2015 10:23:59 AM

Yea sucks not getting paid what you're owed right?! Damn it's funny how things come full circle

anonymous 10/20/2015 10:25:02 AM

Just another way Victory bands don't get paid. Spotify probably has been paying all along but the royalties are just lining Tony Brummel's pockets.

anonymous 10/20/2015 10:25:27 AM

Yo pot, this is kettle. Whadup?

anonymous 10/20/2015 10:53:54 AM

By all accounts from many bands this guy at Victory is a huge Dickhead

anonymous 10/20/2015 10:55:20 AM

This is the reasonable sounding statement I have ever read from Victory Records. Of course, this version of events could be a very long way from the truth, but for once at least it is well written

anonymous 10/20/2015 11:04:25 AM

i read this as "Spotify pulls Victory Records releases amid hearing how terrible they are"

anonymous 10/20/2015 11:07:34 AM

thank God I still have my Insight & Inner Strength 7"s

anonymous 10/20/2015 11:52:52 AM

GOD WHY?! HOW ARE WE GOING TO STREAM KISSING CANDICES NEW ALBUM NOW?!!! Why?!

anonymous 10/20/2015 12:11:59 PM

Why are people still trying to get paid for music in 2015. It's fcking over FA990T5. Get a job and you can play rock star in your free time.

anonymous 10/20/2015 12:25:24 PM

All the ADTR fans are gonna cry

anonymous 10/20/2015 12:32:38 PM

How will I ever listen to Nodes of Ranvier's latest and hottest release now?

rednaaaaaaar 10/20/2015 12:40:40 PM

Otep fans are not stoked.

anonymous 10/20/2015 12:41:38 PM

HAHA! This is great coming from Victory... a company who has had clash action lawsuits for not paying successful acts on their label. What a joke!

anonymous 10/20/2015 1:03:28 PM

just checked to see what bands are on their roster and none of them are any good. nothing was lost. if i'm ever in a mood for bad music i'll just torrent their music.

anonymous 10/20/2015 2:01:55 PM

Taylor Swift!!!! SAVE US!! I made us Nutella and honey sandwiches we can eat while we watch Adventure Time together!! I love you TSWIFT!

anonymous 10/20/2015 2:25:56 PM

what about spotify's side of the story? Not possible to know the truth when all you dickheads do is post a quote from one parties facebook page.

anonymous 10/20/2015 2:30:32 PM

how am i supposed to listen to emmure?? WHAT THE fck AM I SUPPOSED TO DO??!!

anonymous 10/20/2015 2:43:52 PM

I'm just here for the clash action lawsuit.

anonymous 10/20/2015 3:43:09 PM

Trustkill is stoked.

anonymous 10/20/2015 4:13:05 PM

Emmure is on this

anonymous 10/20/2015 4:24:05 PM

Can they pull Victory Recs music from the rest of Earth?

anonymous 10/20/2015 5:43:38 PM

It should be a known fact that once you receive a budget from Victory; you will never see royalties. & even if spotify had a big chunk of cash for artist, tony would tack on some debt to make it vanish.

anonymous 10/20/2015 6:11:25 PM

This is why P2P is still alive and well in 2015

anonymous 10/20/2015 7:16:32 PM

FAHHHHHCK my Bunny The Bear playlist nooooooooo

anonymous 10/20/2015 8:04:51 PM

I like how Tony uses the "bands not getting paid" towards the reason why he's so upset that HE isn't getting paid. Because we all know that by the time Tony gets his cut of 70%, the bands will be lucky if they get a $100 check by the time it's all said and done. But let's be honest here...Spotify is INFAMOUS for this shit. 53,000,000 views on YouTube would be a fcking pay day, but on Spotify...it's next to nothing.

anonymous 10/20/2015 10:05:07 PM

time to get a real job

anonymous 10/20/2015 11:34:04 PM

how will all the eastern european metal gays jam out to the newest emmure records now?

anonymous 10/21/2015 7:23:59 AM

good thing they can't remove all their music from what.cd

anonymous 10/21/2015 8:00:08 AM

"fans of Victory's artists" who are these people?

anonymous 10/21/2015 9:05:47 PM

they're lucky to get any money at all. people shouldn't make money from music. it contributes nothing to society. get a real job. put some real work in. contribute something to society. if any of these band dweebs ever put in a hard day of REAL WORK then they would never complain about what they got paid for their music again.

anonymous 10/22/2015 6:12:29 AM

Who are you?? Every band that exist underneath major headliners all have jobs. To assume every person who writes music & then tours is "cashing in" is ridiculous. Everyone has a f%^* job?! You must be the only person in the world who clocks in at Subway for 38 hours a week. Poor baby

anonymous 10/22/2015 8:01:59 AM

38 hours is only three days of work in my world do some real work i'm not like these skinny jean wearing whiners. i'm a real man and i do real work.

anonymous 10/22/2015 9:47:09 AM

just think of how much coke tony victory can buy with $23000

anonymous 10/24/2015 9:07:43 PM

How will I practice my sick mosh moves for the expire pit. If I can't warm up to emmure I might pull something flailing at the "hardcore" shows

SN00PY 11/4/2015 3:56:45 AM

I humbly wonder just what the fck Islander has got to say about their bald headed egotistical prickoid CEO RE: this one




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