Spotify has announced some of the things it’s doing in response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. They include launching a music relief project where the streaming service will match donations up to a total Spotify contribution of $10m, and a feature enabling artists to fundraise from fans via their Spotify profiles.
The Spotify COVID-19 Music Relief project will do several things. First, it will point people towards “verified organisations that offer financial relief to those in the music community most in need around the world”.
Spotify is partnering with various organizations that raise money for musicians, including MusiCares, PRS Foundation, and Help Musicians. (It’s looking for additional partners around the world, too.) The partnership entails a dedicated Spotify landing page for donations with the company matching all donations up to $10 million. Donations have to be made through Spotify’s page for the matching to happen.
“Spotify is making a donation to these organisations and will match donations made via the Spotify COVID-19 Music Relief page dollar-for-dollar up to a total Spotify contribution of $10 million”.
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit independent creators especially hard. Even big-name musicians have had to cancel tours and shows while entire venues have shut down because of government restrictions on big crowds. Many have looked to live-streaming as an alternate moneymaking option. Additionally, other tech companies have stepped up to help artists earn cash. Bandsintown partnered with Twitch, for example, as did SoundCloud.
