How Facebook is trying to avoid a public relations disaster with songwriters
Mark Zuckerberg’s company appears eager to avoid the kind of backlash from artists and songwriters that has plagued Spotify, Pandora and Apple Music
One thing Facebook Inc.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t want is a public war of words with Taylor Swift, Metallica or Bob Dylan.
In recent years, major artists have clashed with streaming services Spotify Ltd. and Apple Music over royalties paid, or not paid, for the use of their music. The same goes for Pandora Media Inc. as well as Alphabet Inc.’s
YouTube, which accounts for 40 per cent of music listening but just four per cent of music revenue, according to a October 2016 study by Goldman, Sachs & Co.
In response, the streaming sites have had to play damage control, attempting to appease musical celebrities so as to avoid angering their large and loyal followings.
For Facebook, the public relations stakes may be even higher. Alone among social media platforms, Facebook’s brand is particularly tied to notions of community and fair play. For that reason, Zuckerberg has taken a variety of steps to police the site for fake news and hate speech, often with mixed results.
