Taylor Swift isn't afraid to speak out when it comes to her rights as an artist, and her latest pleas to Apple Music have paid off. Taylor took to Tumblr to post an open letter objecting to a three-month free streaming service - launching June 30 - which would mean artists went unpaid for plays of their tracks.
Taylor insisted that her album 1989 would therefore not feature as part of the offer, explaining to her fans: "I'm sure you are aware that Apple Music will be offering a free 3 month trial to anyone who signs up for the service. I'm not sure you know that Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months," Swift explained. "I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company."
She continued, "These are not the complaints of a spoiled, petulant child. 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. We simply do not respect this particular call."
It was a point well made as she concluded: "We don't ask you for free iPhones. Please don't ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation."
While Taylor was the one to get the ball rolling, it wasn't long before her posse of friends and fellow music artists began back her. Bleachers singer Jack Antanoff - and BF to Taylor's close pal Lena Dunham - was fast to post her piece to Twitter, calling it "Powerful and important." While Elvis Costello chirped in "@TaylorSwift13 A word from our future President. Right on. You tell ‘em, girl."
And it wasn't long before Apple caught on to their sentiments and changed its tune, with Apple vice president Eddy Cue writing on a string of tweets, saying: "We hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Apple will always make sure that artist are paid. #AppleMusic will pay artist for streaming, even during customer's free trial period." The news was posted publically following a formal phone call to Taylor herself.
In response, Swift tweeted her 59.2 million followers: "I am elated and relieved. Thank you for your words of support today. They listened to us."
This isn't the first time Taylor has stood up for her right to royalties - she refused to allow her tracks to be streamed on Spotify for the same reason. It's just another reason we're #TeamTaylor.
1 of 112 Taylor Swift in LA, 14 January 2015
2 of 112 Taylor Swift in Jenny Packham at InStyle And Warner Bros. 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards Post-Party, 11 January 2015
3 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 3 January 2015
4 of 112 Taylor Swift performing on New Year's Eve 2015 In Times Square, 31 December 2014
5 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 26 December 2014
6 of 112 Taylor Swift In New York City, 24 December 2014
7 of 112 Taylor Swift In New York City, 22 December 2014
8 of 112 Taylor Swift In New York, 19 December 2014
9 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 15 December 2014
10 of 112 Taylor Swift at Billboard Women In Music Luncheon, 12 December 2014
11 of 112 Taylor Swift in Reem Acra at Z100s Jingle Ball 2014, 12 December 2014
12 of 112 Tayloor Swift at Z100's Jingle Ball 2014 Presented By Goldfish Puffs, 10 December 2014
13 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 11 December 2014
14 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 10 December 2014
15 of 112 Taylor Swift in Sachin & Babi at the Jingle Bell Ball, 7 December 2014
16 of 112 Taylor Swift in Romona Keveza at KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 2014, Los Angeles, 5 December 2014
17 of 112 Taylor Swift at KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 2014 Powered by LINE, 5 December 2014
18 of 112 Taylor Swift at The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, 2 December 2014
19 of 112 Taylor Swift at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, 2 December 2014
20 of 112 Taylor Swift at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show - Pink Carpet Arrivals, 2 December 2014
21 of 112 Taylor Swift at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show - After Party Arrivals, 2 December 2014
22 of 112 Tylor Swift in Michael Kors at the American Music Awards, 23 November 2014
23 of 112 Tayloor Swift at the American Music Awards , 23 November 2014
24 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 14 November 2014
25 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 13 November 2014
26 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 12 November 2014
27 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 30 October 2014
28 of 112 Taylor Swift at SiriusXM's 'Town Hall', 29 October 2014
29 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 28 October 2014
30 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 28 October 2014
31 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 27 October 2014
32 of 112 Taylor Swift at ABC's 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' , 23 October 2014
33 of 112 Taylor Swift in Los Angeles, 21 October 2014
34 of 112 Taylor Swift, 8 October 2014
35 of 112 Taylor Swift in Paris, 7 October 2014
36 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 3 October 2014
37 of 112 Taylor Swift at iHeartRadio Music Festival, 19 September 2014
38 of 112 Taylor Swift performing at iHeartRadio Music Festival, 19 September 2014
39 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 16 September 2014
40 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 15 September 2014
41 of 112 Taylor Swift, 15 September 2014
42 of 112 Taylor Swift at 'Deutscher Radiopreis 2014', 4 September 2014
43 of 112 Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards, 24 August 2014
44 of 112 Taylor Swift at Yahoo Taping, 14 August 2014
45 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 14 August 2014
46 of 112 Taylor Swift at Late Night with Seth Meyers, 13 August 2014
47 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 12 August 2014
48 of 112 Taylor Swift at 'The Giver' New York Premiere, 11 August 2014
49 of 112 Taylor Swift at the Teen Choice Awards, 10 August 2014
50 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 6 August 2014
51 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 1 August 2014
52 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 30 July 2014
53 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 24 July 2014
54 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 22 July 2014
55 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 21 July 2014
56 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City , 18 July 2014
57 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 16 July 2014
58 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 14 July 2014
59 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York , 11 July 2014
60 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York City, 9 July 2014
61 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 7 July 2014
62 of 112 Taylor Swift wearing Top Shop in New York, 2 July 2014
63 of 112 Taylor Swift at the 'Charles James- Beyond Fashion' Costume Institute Gala, 5 May 2014
64 of 112 Taylor Swift seen arriving at the after party for Saturday Night Live, 13 Apri 2014
65 of 112 Taylor Swift at the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, 6 April 2014
66 of 112 Taylor Swift at the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, 6 April 2014
67 of 112 Taylor Swift arrives at the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Graydon Carter, 2 March 2014
68 of 112 Taylor Swift at The Weinstein Company's Academy Award party, 1 March 2014
69 of 112 Taylor Swift attends the Clive Davis And The Recording Academy's 2014 Pre-GRAMMY Gala at The Beverly Hilton, 25 January 2014
70 of 112 Taylor Swift attends the 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, 12 January 2014
71 of 112 Taylor Swift arrives at the 2014 InStyle And Warner Bros. 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards Post-Party at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, 12 January 2014
72 of 112 Taylor Swift in Stella McCartney at Kensington Palace for the Centrepoint Winter Whites Gala, 26 November 2013
73 of 112 Taylor Swift arrives at the 2013 American Music Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A., 24 November 2013
74 of 112 Taylor Swift attends the Weinstein Company's holiday party at RivaBella, 21 November 2013
75 of 112 Taylor Swift in Elie Saab at the 47th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena, 6 November 2013
76 of 112 Taylor Swift in Houghton, Honored As 2013 Songwriter Artist Of The Year By The Nashville Songwriters Association International, 13 October 2013
77 of 112 Taylor Swift in Reem Acra at Romeo And Juliet premiere, 24 September 2013
78 of 112 Taylor Swift in Hervé Léger By Max Azria at the MTV VMAs, 25 August 2013
79 of 112 Taylor Swift in Emilio Pucci at The Fragrance Foundation Awards, 12 June 2013
80 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, 17 January 2015
81 of 112 Taylor Swift in Zuhair Murad at the Billboard Music Awards, 19 May 2013
82 of 112 Taylor Swift in J Mendel at Met Gala, 6 May 2013
83 of 112 Taylor Swift in Dolce & Gabbana at the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards , April 2013
84 of 112 Taylor Swift in J Mendel at Grammy Awards, February 2013
85 of 112 Taylor Swift Kaufman Franco at 40 Principales Awards, Madrid, January 2013
86 of 112 Taylor Swift in Donna Karan at the Golden Globe Awards, January 2013
87 of 112 Taylor Swift in Elie Saab at NRJ Music Awards 2013, January 2013
88 of 112 Taylor Swift in Ralph Lauren at People's Choice Awards, January 2013
89 of 112 Taylor Swift in Oscar de la Renta at the Ripple of Hope Gala, December 2012
90 of 112 Taylor Swift in New York, December 2012
91 of 112 Taylor Swift in Kate Spade at the Kiis FM Jungle Ball, December 2012
92 of 112 Taylor Swift at the Jingle Ball 2012, 7 December 2012
93 of 112 Taylor Swift turning on the lights at Westfield, November 2012
94 of 112 Taylor Swift performing at the MTV EMAs, November 2012
95 of 112 Taylor Swift in J Mendel at the MTV EMAs, November 2012
96 of 112 Taylor Swift at the ARIA Awards in Sydney, 29 November 2012
97 of 112 Taylor Swift on The US X Factor, 15 November 2012
98 of 112 Taylor Swift at Westfield Shopping Centre, 6 November 2012
99 of 112 Taylor Swift in Jenny Packham at the CMA Awards, 1 November 2012
100 of 112 Taylor Swift at the CMA Awards Show, 1 November 2012
101 of 112 Taylor Swift at the Radio 1 Teen Awards, October 2012
102 of 112 Taylor Swift at her Red CD launch party, October 2012
103 of 112 Taylor Swift at the ABC Studios in New York, 22 October 2012
104 of 112 Taylor Swift in London, 4 October 2012
105 of 112 Taylor Swift shopping in New York, September 2012
106 of 112 Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Awards, September 2012
107 of 112 Taylor Swift cycling in New York, August 2012
108 of 112 Taylor Swift in Reiss at the BBC teen awards, November 2010
109 of 112 Taylor Swift in Kaufman Franco at the Grammys, January 2010
110 of 112 Taylor Swift, 2007
111 of 112 Taylor Swift at the CMAs, 2007
112 of 112 Taylor Swift at the 41st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, May 2006