Yesterday we reported how Taylor Swift had written an open letter to Apple, unhappy that artists would not be getting paid during the free three month trial.
Following Taylor Swift’s public complaint about the policy, Apple’s Eddy Cue, senior vice president for internet software and services, has just announced that Apple will change its plan for Apple Music and pay royalties to artists during its three-month free trial for users.
Apple will now be paying an undisclosed royalty rate on a per stream basis to artist for the duration that users are on the free trial.
Apple had planned to offer users a three-month free trial of its upcoming streaming Apple Music service that launches June 30th. However, it had negotiated deals with the major labels to not pay rights holders royalties during these trials and instead pay a tiny bit more in royalty rates afterwards.
Swift did say that if the policy changed she would be happy to include her 1989 album and the change should help improve the public perception of Apple Music and potentially pull in some artists that were boycotting the old payout structure.
