NO LAUGHING MATTER: Spotify Pulls Comedy Content In Royalties Dispute

By Paige Boyd, Managing Editor

It looks like comedy fans will be looking elsewhere to get their laugh on.

CNN reports that streaming giant Spotify has pulled the works of hundreds of comedians - including big names like Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, and the late Robin Williams - from its platform, in the midst of a huge dispute over royalties. Rights agency Spoken Giants, which represents some of the affected comics, stated that the take-down took place on November 24, as they are aiming to get streaming platforms to give comics their fair share for writing their jokes in the same manner as songwriters' payment for their publishing.

"With this take-down, individual comedians are now being penalized for collectively requesting the same compensation songwriters receive," said Spoken Giants CEO Jim King. "After Spotify removed our members' work, we reached out but have not received a response. We have now requested an immediate meeting to resolve this situation."

While the content is still available on other platforms, the take-down from one of the biggest streaming services in the country could have a huge effect on up and coming comedians. In reaction to this move, New York-based comedian Joe Zimmerman called the move "corporate bullying, while fellow NY comedian Liz Miele tweeted that her albums had also been removed from the platform because comedians "had the audacity to ask for money owed to us." She also, jokingly, compared herself to singer Taylor Swift, who briefly pulled her own catalog from Spotify back in 2014 over their policies.

In their own response, a Spotify spokesperson told CNN that they have already paid "significant amounts of money" to offer the comedy content to listeners, and "would love to continue to do so... However, given that Spoken Giants is disputing what rights various licensors have, it's imperative that the labels that distribute this content, Spotify and Spoken Giants come together to resolve this issue to ensure this content remains available to fans around the globe."