Spotify Covid-19 Music Relief to offer financial help for musicians

Spotify Covid-19 Music Relief project aims to compensate those affected by coronavirus
(Image credit: Spotify)

Spotify is extending a helping hand to music community members who are most impacted by the effects of the coronavirus outbreak. The Spotify Covid-19 Music Relief project will recommend verified organisations that offer financial relief to musicians, producers and other music industry bods around the world.

To begin with, it has partnered with MusiCares, PRS Foundation, and Help Musicians - three organisations that work to improve the lot of those in the music industry. Spotify is making a donation to each and will match any donation made via the organisation's page up to a total contribution of $10 million.

More partners will be announced soon.

The streaming service will also soon let musicians collect donations directly from fans. The artists will be able to direct fans to a fundraising page of their choice through their Spotify artist profile page.

The feature is completely optional, and Spotify won't take a cut of any proceeds. Musicians can also use it to direct donations to another cause or artist of their choosing, if they like.

Are you a Spotify artist interested in signing up? Register your interest here. And if you're just stuck at home wishing you could go out, check out our list of the best live music streams and virtual concerts to watch in self-isolation.

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  • eoc69
    To suggest that Spotify cares about musicians is a absolute joke.
    Reply
  • simonali
    That was the first thing that came to mind when I read this. They've only been paying them pennies up until now and now want us to dip into our pockets a second time to help them look like they give a :poop:.
    Reply
  • markieteeee
    This is a joke. They've even sent artists the link to contribute to this. In effect, a struggling musician whose gigs have all been cancelled and who gets pennies from Spotify is expected to donate to Spotify, who then will match their donations. Then they have the chance to apply to relief projects to get money to survive on. If Spotify have ten million dollars lying about to contribute then they could maybe start paying their artists better rates rather than trying to look good in a crisis.
    Reply