The country superstar explains in a statement that he pulled his album from the service because he wants people involved in the making of his music 'to be paid fairly.'
- Nov 13, 2014
AceShowbiz - It's now Jason Aldean's turn to explain why he pulled his music from Spotify. A few days after removing his latest album "Old Boots, New Dirt" from the streaming service, the country superstar said in a statement to The Associated Press that he did it because he wanted those involved in the making of his music "to be paid fairly."
"The debate the whole music industry is having on streaming is complicated," the "Burnin' It Down" singer wrote. "And while I'm definitely paying attention to the business side of things, I am first and foremost an artist."
"I'm an artist whose career has been built by the songwriters, publishers, producers and engineers that line Music Row in Nashville. What they do has value, and I want everyone who is involved in making my music to be paid fairly," he continued. "This is about trying to do what is right for the people who have given me a great life."
Aldean's "Old Boots, New Dirt" has been unavailable on Spotify since Monday, November 10. Following its release back in October, the album was streamed by three million Spotify users and subsequently set a record for the best-ever debut for a country album.
Aldean followed in the footsteps of Taylor Swift, who pulled her music from Spotify and later said the company didn't fairly compensate artists. However, he didn't completely leave the Spotify as he still allows his previous albums on the service.
"I don't know what the future holds or what my record label will ultimately decide to do with streaming partners, but for now, we made a mutual decision to hold my album back," he added.
