It’s been a long time coming – but Spotify has confirmed that it is finally adding songwriter and producer credits to its platform.
The initiative is starting off as a desktop-only perk, but the company tells MBW that it intends to bring the credits to its mobile application in the future.
Desktop users of Spotify are now able to right-click on a track and select ‘Show Credits’ from the options menu for information on performers, songwriters and producers.
Unfortunately, the news doesn’t mean Spotify has solved well-known industry metadata issues around digital rights – but then again, it’s not claiming to have done so.
The data for the credits, says Spotify, is being provided by record labels – and, in a Wikipedia-esque touch, the source of this information will be displayed to users.
‘We realize some of the label-provided credits are incomplete or may contain inaccuracies, but this is just the first step in displaying songwriter credits on Spotify,’ the company said in a blog post.
‘The feature will continually evolve to become more efficient, provide better functionality, and incorporate more information from industry partners over time.’
“With the newly launched credits feature, we aim to increase songwriter and producer visibility and, in turn, foster discovery among new collaborators, industry partners, and fans.”
Tiffany Kumar, Spotify
MBW strongly called for Spotify to adopt songwriter credits on its platform in September last year. We pointed out that the firm’s ‘Secret Genius‘ program, which ostensibly celebrates composers, was likely to prove a troublesome brand for a company which failed to recognise those very same writers within its core product.
That issue now appears, to a large degree, to have been rectified.
“Songwriters are an integral force behind the music we love,” said Tiffany Kumar, Global Head of Songwriter Relations, Spotify.
“With the newly launched credits feature, we aim to increase songwriter and producer visibility and, in turn, foster discovery among new collaborators, industry partners, and fans.”
Annika Goldman, Director of Music Publishing Operations, Spotify, added: “The more we share information, the more opportunities we can help create for songwriters.
This is just the beginning of making songwriter and producer credits more easily available to Spotify listeners, and we look forward to continually improving that information, in close collaboration with our music industry partners.”
Songwriter Ali Tamposi (Justin Bieber, Kelly Clarkson, Camila Cabello, and others) said, “We’re all artists in our own right, and every artist appreciates being recognized for their hard work. I’m excited and grateful to see this new feature on Spotify.”
Songwriter Frank Dukes (Camila Cabello, Lorde, and more) added, “It’s amazing to see Spotify give the unsung heroes of music some recognition on their platform. Definitely a step in the right direction.”
Spotify’s songwriter-focused Secret Genius initiative includes an ambassador program, Songshops (global songwriting workshops), The Secret Genius Awards, podcasts and curated playlists.Music Business Worldwide
