[chez17]

You're "money" quote is provably wrong though. Her music isn't all over Youtube and other services. In fact, you proved this by having to go to the Pirate Bay to download it. They've done a great job at stopping it being available for free anywhere legally. Seriously, try to find any song from 1989 on Youtube that doesn't have a music video released. You can't.

>Then comes Spotify (and friends), and suddenly there is an outcome where I'll part with $120 per year and artists earn money from me that they didn't before. They should embrace that, not focus on money per 'played song', rather on 'money earned per consumer/year'.

Honestly, why should she? She just sold 1.3 million albums in a week. Talking in absolutes about this is silly. Just like when Radiohead released a pay what you want album, different methods will work for different artists. I commend Taylor for not doing what everyone else does just because. It took balls to go against the grain and she came out on top. Good for her. She's not advocating to make Spotify illegal or anything which would be where she loses me. Spotify is great for some things and great for some artists some of the time.

[sandstrom]

Interesting, then this is at least coordinated on their part.

I don't think I understand, wouldn't downloading it on TPB validate Spotify's statement?

Well, as others have pointed out her revenue maximizing probably includes more than streaming and CDs: tours, merchandise, sponsoring etc. play a big part too.

Maybe even the headings/PR from 'turning Spotify down' will generate enough extra attention to offset the loss of some poor people (me) turning to TBP, despite the album being top tanked on TBP.

My main point is that artists as a group should look focus on how they can increase their total earnings, not on how to maximize CD sales.

[jusben1369]

"It took balls" - might be time to reassess the expressions we use to indicate bravery.

I agree with you. Her album is the biggest album in potentially 10 years (The last album to sell this many in the first week was 10 years ago when overall sales were double) So it's going to be on the top of everything including PB. I think all of us would find it objectionable if we were told "You have to change the way you do business otherwise we're going to set up an illegal operation and kneecap you anyways" It may happen and it may be reality but that doesn't mean it's even close to being a justification for why an artist should change their approach.

[omonra]

Is there another hormone more correlated with brave (or reckless) behavior than testosterone?

[jusben1369]

Whatever it Miss Taylor has it in spades based on his admiration.

[TheSisb2]

Why does it have to be a hormone?

[waterlesscloud]

Sure, maybe for Taylor Swift. Today. But she's in a position that literally no more than a handful of artists are in at any given moment.

For anyone else, the numbers and the equations are radically different.