Tidal accused of missing royalty payments to labels
“Three major international record companies” have not been paid in some time, according to a new report.
Beyoncé attends TIDAL X: 1020 at Barclays Center. October 20, 2015.
Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images
JAY-Z's streaming platform Tidal has fallen behind on royalty payments to various record labels, according to a new report from Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv.
The newspaper claims, according to a translation by Music Business Worldwide, that "three major international record companies" have not received payments.
Businesses and individual artists in Norway said the report was accurate. “It is correct that there are delays in payments from Tidal,” said music distributor Phonofile's CEO Sveinung Rindal. Frithjof Boye Hungnes, CEO of independent label Propeller Recordings, claimed it's been awhile since Tidal has sent a scheduled monthly royalty payment. “We have not been paid since October,” he told Dagens Næringsliv, adding that companies were discussing pulling their music off Tidal entirely. "I think there is a pretty upset mood.” Bjørn Gunnar Sando and “Ravi” Johansen, both Norwegian artists, allege that they also have not been paid in months.
In December, Dagens Næringsliv reported that Tidal had lost $44 million in 2016, while the company claimed "we have done nothing but grow the business each year" in a statement.
Tidal was accused last week of accessing accounts without user knowledge to boost the streams of two Tidal-exclusive albums, Kanye West's The Life Of Pablo and Beyonce's Lemonade. The company called the claims part of "a smear campaign."
The FADER has reached out to a Tidal representative for comment.
The FADER has reached out to a Tidal representative for comment.