Hip-hop rapper Snoop Dogg has left Spotify to partner with Tune.FM, a music streaming service that runs on blockchain. He announced this alongside his new single, Spaceship Party, ” and openly criticized Spotify for its low artist payments.
The rapper said he plans to shift “more of his music, including Death Row Records songs, to the platform.
“I don’t f** with Spotify anymore, I’m only on Tune.FM.” He publicly said in a comment to Billboard.
His frustration with Spotify started after he found out how little he was making from streaming. During an interview with Business Untitled podcast, he said:
“They just sent me some s**t from Spotify where I got a billion streams. My publisher hit me. I said, ‘Break that down, how much money is that?’ That s**t wasn’t even $45,000.”
Meanwhile, Spotify denied this claim, saying artists with a billion streams usually make millions. A spokesperson told TMZ Hip Hop, “It’s unfortunate to hear that Spotify’s payments didn’t make it through to Snoop.”
Snoop Dogg has been moving away from traditional platforms for a while. He bought Death Row Records in 2022 and pulled some of its music from Spotify and Apple Music. He previously said, “Death Row will be an NFT label, we will be putting out artists through the metaverse and a whole ‘nother chain of music.” Last year, the rapper partnered with TikTok’s independent distribution platform, SoundOn, to release Death Row’s catalog exclusively.
Tune.FM claims to be different from mainstream streaming services. It pays artists instantly using its cryptocurrency, JAM.
The CEO, Andrew Antar, who met Snoop at a Crypto Ball event before Donald Trump’s inauguration, said, “Snoop is the OG pioneer who is always on the cutting edge of technology and new ways of doing business.” The platform says artists receive 90% of their earnings, compared to Spotify’s model, where payments go through labels and publishers.
In short, the partnership isn’t just about music. It will also offer exclusive fan experiences, giveaways, and NFT collectibles. Tune.FM raised $50 million last year and confirmed that it is in discussions with major labels like Universal Music Group and Sony Music to bring more artists on board.
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