With certain digital music industry news sites turning into TMZ, perhaps it’s no surprise that the latter (celebrity gossip-focused) site is expanding into digital-music speculation.
“Taylor Swift is done fighting Spotify and other streaming services for royalties, and apparently wants to become the master of her own destiny by starting her own streaming service,” it reported yesterday, based on trademark documents filed by Swift’s team for a website called ‘Swifties’ that will include “non-downloadable multi-media content in the nature of audio recordings”.
TMZ thinks that “sounds like a streaming service to us”, although we’re more inclined to suggest it’s some kind of fanclub / membership program that will include streaming access to Swift’s back catalogue.
In other words, less the next Spotify and more the next Little Monsters – Lady Gaga’s fan community – but with more music included.
As one of the stars with the most clout to persuade fans to sign up for such an offering, Swift’s plans will be worth watching. But Daniel Ek, Jimmy Iovine and Jay Z can probably rest easy about her potential as a direct competitor.
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