By the inspiration for Taylor Swift’s next breakup song, R. Brownell
5. IF YOU TAKE THAT PHOTO, THERE WILL BE BAD BLOOD…
Everything about Taylor Swift, like most celebrities, is a hot commodity. From the clothes she wears to the albums she sells to make a living, her image itself is something that can fetch a price in certain markets. Like most capitalists looking after their selfish end to gain, Team Swift instituted a policy where photographers hoping to hock photos of her for tabloids and other photos of her concerts would have to purchase a license from Swift’s crew, or else face a lawsuit for taking her license for profit without her permission…or get their cameras straight up smashed!
SWIFT SMASH!
In a statement from one of Swift’s spokespersons:
“The standard photography agreement has been misrepresented in that it clearly states that any photographer shooting ‘The 1989 World Tour’ has the opportunity for further use of said photographs with management’s approval. Another distinct misrepresentation is the claim that the copyright of the photographs will be with anyone other than the photographer – this agreement does not transfer copyright away from the photographer. Every artist has the right to and should protect the use of their name and likeness.”
Beating a company like Apple is like taking on an immovable, unstoppable force, yet in a sudden turn of events, Taylor Swift managed to beat the giant in a way very few thought was possible.
In a publicly published letter posted online, Swift spoke about why she would not comply with Apple’s three-month trial period of its new streaming music service, in which they did not plan on paying royalty fees for featured artists such as Swift, yet as of late reversed their initial decision.
In Swift’s public letter titled, “To Apple, Love Taylor”, Swift made her case for the whole world to see:
“I respect the company and the truly ingenious minds that have created a legacy based on innovation and pushing the right boundaries….I’m sure you are aware that Apple Music will be offering a free 3 month trial to anyone who signs up for the service. I’m not sure you know that Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months. I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company…
This is not about me…This is about the producer who works tirelessly to innovate and create, just like the innovators and creators at Apple are pioneering in their field…but will not get paid for a quarter of a year’s worth of plays on his or her songs…
Three months is a long time to go unpaid, and it is unfair to ask anyone to work for nothing. I say this with love, reverence, and admiration for everything else Apple has done. I hope that soon I can join them in the progression towards a streaming model that seems fair to those who create this music. I think this could be the platform that gets it right…”
Each time a capitalist makes money, an Ayn Rand loving angel gets its wings
Swift has been known for doing some awesome things for her devoted fans, but just like everyone, even Swift knows how to dish out some tough love. As Swift began a trademarking rampage last February, Taylor began to target everyone that used the likeness of her songs in a way that kept her out of the financial loop. A big deal amongst the artist community came when Taylor sued an artist from the craft site called Etsy for using the name of a song she trademarked as a design on a coffee mug for sale.
try to shake it off, in court!
2. HOPE SPOTIFY DOESN’T MIND THAT BLANK SPACE BABY….
Taylor Swift shocked her fans around the world in 2014 when she made the decision to pull all her music off the popular streaming site known as Spotify. The response was due to Spotify’s streaming of Swift’s most recent album at the time, which she wanted to go on the market for a certain amount of time before allowing Spotify to stream it for free. In a response to the press, Swift threw a swift kick at freeloaders around the world:
In my opinion, the value of an album is, and will continue to be, based on the amount of heart and soul an artist has bled into a body of work, and the financial value that artists (and their labels) place on their music when it goes out into the marketplace. Piracy, file sharing and streaming have shrunk the numbers of paid album sales drastically, and every artist has handled this blow differently.
Aint no such thing as a free lunch!
Swift would even go further as to discuss the true meaning of trading value for value (music for financial gain in this specific case):
Music is art, and art is important and rare. Important, rare things are valuable. Valuable things should be paid for. It’s my opinion that music should not be free, and my prediction is that individual artists and their labels will someday decide what an album’s price point is. I hope they don’t underestimate themselves or undervalue their art.
Swift managed to ultimately capitalize on something most Americans have only dreamed of; making money off your ex! Swift used inspiration from her slew of failed relationships as the creative primer to make mad money from her hit songs. Some of the ex-boyfriend inspired songs include:
“I Knew You Were Trouble”- Harry Styles
“Back to December”- Taylor Lautner
“Blank Space”- Conor Kennedy
“We Are Never Getting Back Together”- Jake Gyllenhaal
