#RespectIndieArtistsWork - My open letter to Tunecore & Spotify CEOs!

ZURICH, 6.June 2024

Dear TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson

Dear Spotify CEO Daniel Ek

I hope my message finds you well. My name is Lily Amis. I’m an indie writer and lyricist from Switzerland and have been writing and releasing songs since the spring of 2022 to raise awareness about important topics close to my heart.

After my recent experience with my previous distributor AMUSE.IO, I’m now running an online petition demanding respect, transparency, support, and protection for ALL indie artists. The main goal from the start was also to warn other indie artists and make sure that they don’t have to make the same horrible experience as I have with my distributor: 

https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/respect-indie-artists-work.html

Since March 2024, I haven’t been able to run promotions as I used to, ONLY because I’m AFRAID of landing unknowingly on a BOT Playlist and being treated like a criminal again!

BUT as an indie-artist who invests time, love, passion, and money into music and humanitarian projects, I don’t have to be AFRAID of running campaigns and doing promotions for my music and charity projects. After the awful and unlawful treatment by AMUSE.IO after two years of “partnership” I feel trapped. Why? Because I don’t want to experience anything like this ever again! I don’t want to be insulted and falsely accused ever again.

Music is supposed to be fun. Music is probably if not definitely the only positive thing in our damaged world and corrupt society that still brings some joy, happiness, hope, and light into people’s dark reality and life. But NOT with the disrespectful and unacceptable treatment dominated by questionable company policies! As the music industry is right now, distributors and music stores discriminate indie-artists as they wish with no consequences. Why? Because indie artists have no label, management, or law team to protect their rights!

Also, with the streaming concept as it is right now, indie artists aren’t making any profit at all. Who works for free in our fame and fortune-hunter dominated society? Who works 50 hours for only 3 Dollars? 1000 Spotify Streamings = 3 Dollars, while a standard song duration is 3:00 minutes. This means a 3:00 min song x 1000 Streamings = 3000 Minutes: 60 min (an hour) = 50 Hours of entertainment for 3 Dollars!!! This doesn’t even make sense, and I wonder who came up with this stupid concept?

And yet, indie-artists continue to release songs! WHY? Because our motivation is genuine. Artists put all their time, energy, love, and passion into their work to make a statement and leave a legacy. Because for artists, including myself as a lyricist, music is the only way to express our feelings.

Music is supposed to be healing and not torture. So killing our emotions, passion, dreams, desires, and goals is cruel and morally wrong. Please treat people the way you like to be treated. Please show the same amount of respect that you like to receive.

Releasing and promoting my work shouldn’t suck the energy out of me and waste my time for months with all the consequences that I had to FIX only because of AMUSEs horrible judgment, corrupt company policy, disrespectful and incredibly unkind treatment after two years of “partnership”. And all this BS for the ridiculous amount of 100 Dollars royalty payment in 2 years, minus two annual fees for distribution, it makes a profit of 50 Dollars, minus promotion campaigns = ZERO profit, while companies like yours and global artists are making a fortune!!!!!

WHY AM I SENDING YOU THIS EMAIL?

The previous three months were exhausting, and I’m sick and tired of feeling paralyzed and afraid! Therefore, I’m sending this email/open letter today addressed to you, TuneCore's Chief Executive Officer Andreea Gleeson, my new distributor since March 2024, and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek to inform you that I will start using promotion platforms like GROOVER again to promote my music. Nothing is going to hold me back from achieving my goals with my song lyrics.

In the recent three months, I had three great song releases that were sadly completely neglected because of my FEAR of disrespectful and rude treatment.

Since I don’t have ANY control over WHO is seeing my promotions and adding my songs to their playlist, I have to have your word/promise, that you won’t “punish” me if I end up on an AI playlist again. Instead of closing my artist account without any warning, denying me access to my copyrighted work, and keeping my tracks and royalties hostage (like AMUSE has for months!!!), your support team will contact me when they discover any unusual and suspicious activity! Open and honest communication is the only key to success for both sides.

You look at me eye to eye and show me the same respect as you show to artists signed by major labels. You don’t look down on me and understand that we have a PARTNERSHIP. Together we are creating something great and we RESPECT each other. There is no need to misuse your “power” to insult me, destroy my goals, and hold me back from my mission. We have enough ongoing wars in the world. Music is supposed to bring peace and not the opposite!

I know to you, I’m just one of millions of artists, but I no longer play this game and accept to live in FEAR because of your questionable policies.

If my asking for RESPECT, HONESTY, and a FAIR partnership is too much to ask and against your company policies, please let me know ASAP and I will take down my tracks from Spotify like I already have from Amazon, Apple, iTunes, and other music stores. I will make my tracks only available on Social media through Tunecore and mainly promote my music on LilyAmis.Bandcamp.com.

I hope you consider changing your policy for everyone's sake and peace of mind. I also hope you treat me as well as every single #RespectIndieArtistsWork petition supporter, the way you like to be treated as a human being! Don’t make artists' lives unnecessarily miserable, instead support us, embrace and celebrate our work.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing back from you.

Kind regards and best wishes from Switzerland,

Lily Amis

Proud Indie-Writer, Lyricist & Blogger

www.LilyAmis.com 

PS: I don't accept being passed to your customer service and getting a standard answer from one of your many agents, unless it's a named person with a serious position at your company. Also, whatever you answer and decide will be openly shared on my blog for transparency!  

UPDATE June 9th:

I have published some of the emails that I have received as comment under this blog post! The petition supporters asked for privacy, which I fully respect!