Music Availability Issues

[adamwright_1989]

I have noticed various songs vanishing from the Spotify library and even some songs playing the incorrect versions.

As I use Spotify to DJ, this is a very embrassing issue.

I was playing some bubblegum pop by Aqua and there 1997 album Aquarium is there, but the 2000 album Aquarius has vanished completly from Spotify! It was there. And Vengaboys, some tracks play the Christmas editions not the proper versions! 

What is going on?

[user-removed]

@adamwright_1989

Hello:

First off I should get the hard points across first. The Spotify service is intended for individual user use only, playing Spotify in a public setting violates the T.O.S. and could result in an account termination. You might want to read through this thoroughly: https://www.spotify.com/legal/end-user-agreement/#s1 

To be able to use Spotify and play content from that service in the public setting requires what is known as a Spotify Brands account, which is slowly taking place in other listening regions outside of Sweden. The Starbucks coffee chain, and I believe the public announcement of some sort of brands deal with McDonalds restaurants: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20160506/NEWS07/160509857/spotify-backed-startup-scores-music... To play commercially available music from the Spotify service in a public setting requires a whole set of different licenses and royalty rate payouts. Brands for Businesses which being a DJ in any public format would be at least a small business in of itself. You might check out this Spotify Brands site to stay up on news of your listening region when things might open up with regards to things like this: https://www.spotify.com/brands/

As for the releases being messed up, the Aquarius album by Aqua is available in three versions in these listening regions currently: CA MX US AT CY DK GR NL CO DK DO EC ES HU IS MY NL NO PE PH PT

Not available currently:

AD AR AU BE BO BR BG CL CR CZ SV EE FI FR DE GT HN HK IE IT LV LI LT LU MT MC NZ NI PA PY PL RO SG SK SI SE CH TW TR GB UY

Sometimes when content becomes unavailable, the Spotify apps will try and find the next available content to the artist. Sometimes this auto-linking works great, other times the Spotify apps will auto-link to content from the artist's compilations and other content the artist's content is on instead.

About missing content on the Spotify service: 

Spotify wants all the world's music, and they're working hard on making this happen for you. However sometimes agreements can’t be reached with the artist or label or a change may happen in music ownership.

Spotify adds thousands of albums and artists are added every day. If you can’t find an artist you’re looking for, they may appear (or reappear) soon. In the meantime, feel free to contact the artist or their label to ask when they plan to be on Spotify.

[adamwright_1989]

Thank you. I didn't know this.

I will ensure it is private use. Why are software vendors allowing
Spotify feeds then? The one place it was broadcast to pay royalties
and all track names were written down. I'm guessing the terms for
Spotify are different?

[user-removed]

@adamwright_1989

"Why are software vendors allowing Spotify feeds then? The one place it was broadcast to pay royalties and all track names were written down.

Can you post some detailed examples and I can pass them on to get maybe a response from a Spotify mod? As there are so many deals Spotify makes, and the copyright laws vary from Country to Country when it comes to playing music or even films in a public setting, and what the requirements are in this regards makes it a bit difficult to be sure in what context this might be possible?

A small office where there is a Spotify feed playing music probable would not cause a big issue legally. But DJing or even a public business somewhere in the public where hundreds of people or more could hear the music playing, this could cause an issue legally as it is a public setting. Playing Spotify around a small group of friends who are all sharing music with each other on their Spotify apps is using the service in it's intended purpose to share music with close friends and family. Without having set up a Spotify brands account and/or made some sort of deal with a third party public music provider for access to the music stream, those individuals and businesses could run into legal issues. Radio stations, public parties, school cafeterias, businesses, weddings, and other public settings where music is played all fees need to be covered in some way from a licensed legal provider to ensure royalties get back to the original artists that made the music.

What I would suggest is doing some research on using music in a public setting from the region you are in, and what fees are required and which local Government agency administers these types of public performances? Find out how to become a legally licensed DJ to do so, at least if you are going to play music from other artists and that music is not your own work originally. If you should get noticed somewhere along the line as DJing, and a video pops up of you DJing somewhere in a public setting, and you start to make a name for yourself you could come under the spotlight. Artists are fickle creatures and territorial over their works, even more so someone playing their work publicly and then getting notice, they could come after you for royalty fees if they figure out it was all done under the table and you made any money at DJing. 

A few sites to check out and see how other regions have a system setup for public performances of music commercially available in a public setting.

This is the Canadian system here: http://www.socan.ca/node/207

Here is a site covering the details of playing music in a business or public setting covering each State, as each State has their own expansion on the U.S. Federal Copyright Law: http://www.nfib.com/content/news/arkansas/you-might-need-a-license-to-play-music-in-your-small-busin...

You will have to select each State from in the U.S. to see what requirements are needed for each State.

These sites above are only for a couple of regions in the World, but well as a DJ you should check your region, C.Y.A. If you plan to go anywhere as a DJ, your safe bet is to do everything above ground and without any hint you sneaked under the table, others might cheat but that is the way of the world, cheaters. My strong advice is do not get caught if there are legal restrictions in your area of playing commercially available music to the public and it is not your own original works of musical art.