A few weeks after Drake alleged that Spotify offered Universal Music Group (UMG) drastically reduced licensing rates to artificially promote the track “Not Like Us,” the streaming giant has issued a strong denial.
On Friday (Dec. 20), Spotify dismissed the accusations as “far-fetched” and “speculative.” In a statement shared with Variety, Spotify clarified, “Spotify has no economic incentive for users to stream ‘Not Like Us’ over any of Drake’s tracks. Only one of Spotify for Artists’ tools, Marquee, was purchased on behalf of the song for €500 (approximately $522) to promote the track in France. Marquee is a visual ad that is clearly disclosed to users as a Sponsored Recommendation.”
The company also refuted claims of a licensing agreement with UMG designed to favor “Not Like Us.” “UMG and Spotify have never had any arrangement in which UMG ‘charged Spotify licensing rates 30 percent lower than its usual licensing rates for ‘Not Like Us’ in exchange for Spotify affirmatively recommending [‘Not Like Us’],’ including ‘to users who are searching for other songs and artists,’” a spokesperson emphasized.
Drake’s legal battle includes allegations against both Spotify and Apple. His initial petition claimed Apple’s Siri was programmed to redirect users searching for Certified Lover Boy, Drake’s sixth studio album, to “Not Like Us.” The track by Lamar features controversial lyrics such as, “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles.”
UMG, whose Republic Records is part of Drake’s OVO Sound label joint venture, was quick to defend itself. “We would never do anything to undermine any of our artists,” a representative stated. The company dismissed Drake’s accusations as baseless, adding, “Fans choose the music they want to hear, and no contrived legal argument can change that fact.”
Despite Spotify and UMG’s denials, rapper 50 Cent expressed skepticism during the Dec. 16 episode of the Flagrant podcast. “Everything he said [UMG] did in that lawsuit, they did it,” he said, fueling the ongoing controversy.