That’s because the singer-songwriter — who had recently crossed over into pop megastardom with her massive album— pulled her catalog from the streaming service in November 2014 in protest over low royalty payouts for its “freemium” model. Just months prior, Swift had hinted at her displeasure in aop-ed in which she wrote, “Valuable things should be paid for. It’s my opinion that music should not be free.” Swift wouldn’t allow her music back on the service until June 2017.
That wasn’t the last time Swift flexed her industry power in the name of artist rights. In 2015, she threatened to keepoff of Apple Music, which was then preparing to launch, over its decision not to pay royalties to artists during the streamer’s free three-month trial period. Apple made an about-face just one day later by announcing that it would pay those royalties after all.
With different-colored LP variants and packaging containing fan-servicing easter eggs and bonus materials, Swifties will often buy multiple copies of the same Swift albums, both online through her web store and through major chain and independent record stores, where she’s encouraged in-person shopping by releasing a number of store exclusives.
Swift would go on to cross the $100 million mark in 2011 with her Speak Now Tour and generate an impressive $150 million with the help of longtime promoter and family friend Louis Messina from the Messina Touring Group, and go on to generate $250 million in sales for her 2014-2015 1989 World Tour. The success of each tour was proof of just how much fans valued Swift’s music, and the “Blank Space” singer wasn’t the only one noticing.
Today, securing advance registration for an opportunity to buy tickets, along with seat-by-seat pricing based on market demand, have become staples of most high-demand tours. The war on bots, scalpers and random technical issues — see the recent snafu in France — clearly isn’t over, but Taylor’s on the frontlines. –It’s worth noting that Taylor was never just a country artist.