Getting Garth Brooks on Spotify has been a long-standing challenge for the streaming platform. While Spotify has an extensive catalog of music from various artists and genres, Garth Brooks’ music has remained unavailable on the platform. The reasons behind this can be attributed to a combination of factors, including Garth Brooks’ personal preferences, his exclusive deal with Amazon Music, and his admiration for Spotify’s CEO, Daniel Ek.
One of the main reasons why Garth Brooks’ music is not available on Spotify is due to his exclusive deal with Amazon Music. In 2016, Garth Brooks signed an exclusive agreement with Amazon, granting them the rights to stream his entire catalog. This exclusive deal meant that his music would only be available on Amazon Music, excluding other major streaming platforms like Spotify. This move allowed Garth Brooks to have more control over the distribution and availability of his music, aligning with his vision and views.
During the bidding war for Garth Brooks’ catalog, he expressed that his views and vision most aligned with Amazon Music. In 2017, when he appeared at the SXSW Festival, he mentioned that he valued Spotify co-creator and CEO, Daniel Ek, personally. This indicates that Garth Brooks has a positive impression of Daniel Ek and the Spotify platform. However, despite this admiration, the exclusive deal with Amazon Music took precedence, making it difficult for Spotify users to access his music.
It’s worth noting that exclusive deals between artists and streaming platforms are not uncommon in the music industry. Many artists, especially those with significant influence and fan bases, often negotiate exclusive agreements to maximize their reach and revenue. These deals provide artists with greater control over their music and allow them to cater to the preferences of their audience. Garth Brooks’ decision to sign an exclusive deal with Amazon Music reflects his desire to connect with his fans through a specific platform.
The unavailability of Garth Brooks’ music on Spotify can be attributed to his exclusive deal with Amazon Music, where he found the most alignment with his views and vision. While he may personally admire Spotify’s CEO, Daniel Ek, the exclusive agreement with Amazon takes precedence. Exclusive deals are common in the music industry and allow artists to have more control over their music distribution and availability. As a result, Spotify users will have to rely on other platforms to listen to Garth Brooks’ music.