Spotify now shows songwriter and producer credits
The company is working to build a better relationship with the industry.
Spotify announced today that when listening through the desktop platform, users will now be able to view song credits. Starting now, right-clicking on a track and selecting "Show Credits" from the menu will bring up its performer, writer and producer credits as well as the source from which that info was provided. Spotify says that currently, those details have been compiled from record label-provided metadata and they may be incomplete in some cases, but going forward, the feature will become more functional and will use information from other sources.
Spotify hasn't had a very smooth relationship with songwriters and artists in the past. It has agreed to multi-million dollar settlements in lawsuits that alleged it didn't properly pay publishers and songwriters and in attempts to build more trust, it has limited its free streaming option and purchased a company that streamlines information on proprietary rights. Last year, Spotify also launched Secret Genius -- a songwriter-focused initiative that includes an ambassador program, playlists, podcasts and an award show.
It's a little surprising something as simple as credits took this long, and it's probably not as good as higher royalties, but it's a good move -- one that Tidal also made in November -- since everyone involved in creating a song deserves to have their work acknowledged. In a statement, Annika Goldman, Spotify's director of music publishing operations, said, "The more we share information, the more opportunities we can help create for songwriters. This is just the beginning of making songwriter and producer credits more easily available to Spotify listeners, and we look forward to continually improving that information, in close collaboration with our music industry partners."
