Spotify retreats from playlist ban

Spotify is backing down from plans to marginalise songs by artists accused of sexual violence after a backlash over the policy.

There are no plans to return R. Kelly to Spotify playlists. Picture: AP.

Spotify is backing down from plans to marginalise songs by artists accused of sexual violence after backlash from the hip-hop world.

Some of the most high-profile rap stars including Kendrick Lamar threatened to withdraw their music from the streaming service unless executives altered the company’s new “hateful conduct” policy, sources claim.

Under the policy announced this month, Spotify reserved the right to remove artists from its playlists if they did something “especially harmful or hateful”, such as sexual violence.

Their music still would appear on Spotify but not be actively recommended.

The first three musicians af­fected by the playlist ban — R&B star R. Kelly and US rappers Tay-K and XXXTentacion — are black, causing concerns that the policy disproportionately punished ethnic minority performers.

Supporters of the artists pointed out that several white musicians who had faced sexual allega­tions, including David Bowie and Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, were still being promoted on Spotify playlists.

It also emerged that comedians Bill Cosby and Louis CK were removed from Spotify’s comedy playlists. Last month Cosby was convicted of molesting women, while CK has faced sexual misconduct allegations.

Spotify’s actions provoked particular controversy because none of the first three artists has been convicted over the allegations that led to their bans.

Kelly, 51, has been dogged by sexual assault claims for decades but was acquitted of child abuse charges in 2008.

XXXTentacion is awaiting trial for allegedly beating up his pregnant girlfriend. Tay-K is in jail awaiting trial on murder and robbery charges.

Spotify has decided to restore XXXTentacion to playlists and adjust its policy in response to the protests, Bloomberg says. The exact policy changes still are being confirmed but there are no plans to return Kelly’s music to playlists. Spotify declined to comment.

Mark Mulligan, a streaming expert at Midia Research, says: “Tech companies have a responsibility to have an editorial voice … If you are going to have a policy it has to be implemented in a consistent way. This was a predomin­antly white company essentially blocking out predominantly black music.”

The Times