Apple to pay royalties during service free trial

Apple will pay royalties to artists when their songs are streamed on its new music service during a three-month free-trial period for users.

The decision came after pop star Taylor Swift decried the company’s decision not to pay artists during the trial period in an open letter and said she would not post her album 1989 to the service.

{mosads}“I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company,” Swift said in a Tumblr post.

“These are not the complaints of a spoiled, petulant child,” she said. “These are the echoed sentiments of every artist, writer and producer in my social circles who are afraid to speak up publicly because we admire and respect Apple so much.”

Late Sunday night, Apple’s Senior Vice President for Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue said on Twitter that the company would pay artists during the free trial period after all.

#AppleMusic will pay artist for streaming, even during customer’s free trial period

— Eddy Cue (@cue) June 22, 2015

We hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Love, Apple

— Eddy Cue (@cue) June 22, 2015

Cue told the New York Times that Swift’s letter had caused him to reconsider the company’s policy on royalties.

Swift tweeted that she was “elated and relieved.”

The 1989 musician is a longtime critics of free streaming services and has removed her work from Spotify. But Apple’s service doesn’t include a free tier, meaning that artists may be more inclined to list their music with the company.

The service’s launch is occurring against the backdrop of an ongoing fight in Washington over how much artists get paid when their songs are streamed by listeners. This year, the low-profile Copyright Royalty Board is reconsidering the rates artists are paid when their music is streamed.