Apple Music’s market power and leverage revealed in Brian Jonestown Massacre flap

Anton Newcombe, the volatile frontman of the indie rock outfit Brian Jonestown Massacre, had a tweet fit yesterday claiming that Apple was bullying him into allowing his music to be streamed via the new Apple Music streaming service.

Newcombe claims that Apple threatened to remove his music (downloads) from iTunes if he doesn’t cooperate. Apple has denied that it made the threat. Newcombe objects to the fact that Apple Music subscribers will be able to stream Brian Jonestown Massacre music for free during the free three-month trial period.

Here’s Newcombe’s tweet storm collected in one paragraph by Fact:

They said we want to stream your music free for three months. I said what if I say no, and they said, ‘We’ll take your music off iTunes.’ Hardball? Fuck these satanic corporations. The biggest company on earth wants to use my work to make money for three months and pay me nothing – [if] I say no, I’m banned…Devils. They shouldn’t threaten people to work for free. It’s not ok for these fucking idiots to decide art has no value.

Brian Jonestown Massacre’s label, Beggars Group, has yet to agree to license its catalog for streaming. They will. And Newcombe’s tirade will be just one more of his many temper tantrums.

Beggars Group comprises Matador Records, 4AD, Rough Trade Records, and some others. These labels have some big bands, including Adele, White Stripes, Vampire Weekend, Radiohead, Gary Numan, The Strokes, The Cocteau Twins, Lou Reed, and many others.

Licensing music for Spotify-like streaming services is now the music industry’s main revenue source. Downloads are not far behind, however, and Apple is by far the biggest provider of legal music downloads.

Apple also holds millions and millions of credit card numbers from iTunes customers. So Apple’s offer to provide both downloads and streaming in one account from one company will probably be compelling for many. It’s likely to stop the defections of iTunes download customers to Spotify streaming, and it may cause some people to leave Spotify to get all their music from Apple.

Of course this all depends on Apple offering all the music that Spotify does. But Apple has the leverage here. The labels must and will put their music where consumers want to buy, or rent, as the case may be.

So no, Anton, Apple doesn’t need to strongarm the labels, and it certainly doesn’t need to strongarm individual musicians. It already has the power.