Spotify has just announced that it will start giving credit where credit is due–songwriters will now be included in the credits on the streaming site.
To settle music trivia disputes, listeners can now simply right-click on a track and select “Show Credits” from the menu of options to see information on performers, songwriters, and producers. Soon, everyone will know that Prince wrote The Bangles’ “Manic Monday,” Richard Marx wrote ‘N Sync’s hit “This I Promise You”, Bruno Mars cowrote Cee-Lo Green’s “Fuck You”, and Michael Jackson himself cowrote The Simpsons near-hit “Do The Bartman”.
The move comes in response to a push from music publishers, led by Sony/ATV music publishing chairman and CEO Martin Bandier, who called on Spotify to make the change last year. “With this announcement, Spotify has taken a first, important step to properly recognize the vital contribution that songwriters make to its service and should be applauded for it,” said Bandier in a statement. “Songwriters are the essential lifeblood of the music industry. Without their words and music there would be nothing for artists to record, no hit songs and no music to stream.” It’s all part of Spotify’s efforts to woo anxious artists–and giving songwriters the credit they deserve is definitely a step in the right direction.
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