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Apple Music’s Spatial Audio Royalty Change Raises Indie Label Concerns Over Cost, Artistry

Apple Music's spatial audio royalty change has raised concerns among indie labels, which are voicing financial, artistic and practical concerns.

“We fully agree that the streaming ecosystem has yet to reach its full potential, and things are now in motion,” European indie trade group IMPALA tells Billboard in a statement. “However, we believe it is imperative for open and constructive discussions to continue to sculpt a streaming landscape that boosts diversity and local markets, to the benefit of services, labels, artists and music fans alike.” “We don’t want to go to war with anybody, but equally we are concerned that the playing field is getting less and less level as we go along, and we may be starting to see a two-tier system as opposed to a standard stream rate that you can rely on,” Montello says.

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