Indie Label Opts Out Of Apple iCloud Music Match; Says It's An Insult That Tramples Copyright

from the flattened-copyright? dept

Via Hypebot, we learn of an indie label called Numero that apparently has decided that it wants no part of Apple's iCloud Music Match offering:

In the coming weeks, many customers and friends will ask us this question: why am I not able to automatically access Numero in my iCloud? The simple reason is that Apple and their major label "partners" have created a reward system that is both incomprehensible in scope and totally out of sync with iCloud's streaming peers' (Rdio, Spotify, et al) financial mechanics. As we have been entrusted with an incredible wealth of creative assets, and our primary responsibility is to our partners; the artists, producers, and songwriters that make up the Numero catalog, we feel that Apple’s pittance is an insult not only to them, but every other musician, living or dead, and, if the latter is the case, their heirs.

With that in mind, we have declined Apple’s invitation to iCloud.

The label seems upset at the fact that Apple cut deals with the major labels, but I'm at a bit of a loss concerning the full reasoning here. Doesn't this just seem to harm consumers? I assume that users will still be able to upload Numero songs, as they would with other songs not in the iTunes database. It just makes it more difficult for them. The complaint about the financials being different than Rdio and Spotify is meaningless, because the service is totally different. This isn't about streaming music you don't already have. This is about sync'ing music you already have. I can definitely understand indie labels being upset about preferential treatment given to the majors, but I'm just not sure this sort of "protest" makes sense in response.

Filed Under: icloud, music match
Companies: apple, numero