Taylor Swift’s stand changed Apple Music

Ten years ago, Taylor Swift spoke out against Apple just before the launch of Apple Music. Her bold move led to a major shift in how the company treated artists. Here’s what happened. Apple had spent $3 billion to buy Beats, mainly for its popular Beats Music streaming service. This was a big deal for Apple, a company known for leading the music industry with the iPod and iTunes.

As music shifted from downloads to streaming, Apple wanted to compete with Spotify. Apple Music, built on Beats Music, was set to launch with a three-month free trial for users. But there was a catch: artists wouldn’t get paid for streams during this trial. Swift wasn’t okay with this. She wrote an open letter calling out Apple, saying it was unfair to ask artists to work for free. Her words hit hard, and Apple quickly changed its policy.

They agreed to pay artists for every stream, even during the free trial. This move won Swift praise and helped Apple Music avoid a rocky start. Today, Apple Music is a major player, though it still trails Spotify. Swift and Apple have since built a strong bond, with her music featured in playlists and exclusive content. Her stand in 2015 showed the power of speaking up and shaped a fairer future for artists on streaming platforms.