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Spotify’s always billed itself as a platform for creators, so today, it announced that it’s going to help artists in need. The company will allow creators to link out to donation pages, whether it’s their own, a friend’s, or just an organization’s. Spotify won’t take a cut of the proceeds, and artists can opt into the feature when it eventually launches, which the company says will be “soon.” Interested artists can preemptively sign up here.
The company’s also partnering with various organizations that raise money for musicians, including MusiCares, PRS Foundation, and Help Musicians. (It’s looking for additional partners around the world, too.) The partnership entails a dedicated Spotify landing page for donations with the company matching all donations up to $10 million. Donations have to be made through Spotify’s page for the matching to happen.
Finally, the streaming service is making a variety of its creator tool features free. SoundBetter is waiving its revenue share; the cloud-based audio recording platform Soundtrap is offering extended free trials for educators; and Anchor is waiving fees on its Listener Support feature.
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit independent creators especially hard. Even big-name musicians have had to cancel tours and shows while entire venues have shut down because of government restrictions on big crowds. Many have looked to live-streaming as an alternate moneymaking option. Additionally, other tech companies have stepped up to help artists earn cash. Bandsintown partnered with Twitch, for example, as did SoundCloud.
