Anita Baker probably felt as if Apple Music was adding insult to injury when it sent this tweet out Wednesday.
https://twitter.com/AppleMusic/status/667094902245732352
Yep, the music-streaming service was promoting Baker's work that it had put in a special "80s" playlist. Baker hopped on Twitter and told Apple Music that it didn't have a "digital licensing agreement" for any of her work. Not to mention that it probably felt like a double whammy that the service was putting her music in a special discount deal.
https://twitter.com/IAMANITABAKER/status/667103622065360896
She kept going in, saying that it was "piracy" and an "attempted theft of [her] catalog."
https://twitter.com/IAMANITABAKER/status/667104975793709057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Baker argued that it represents a bigger shift that's happening in the music business, where artists make and "they take."
https://twitter.com/IAMANITABAKER/status/667108367702163456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
She especially feels bad for smaller artists who may want to take a stand against these streaming service arrangements but can't because they need the pennies they make from it.
https://twitter.com/IAMANITABAKER/status/667115977776074753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
That'll probably be the last time Apple Music makes mention of Anita Baker. And she's probably just fine with that.
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Diana Ozemebhoya Eromosele is a staff writer at The Root and the founder and executive producer of Lectures to Beats, a Web series that features video interviews with scarily insightful people. Follow Lectures to Beats on Facebook and Twitter.
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