Spotify Has A Plan To Help Struggling Artists During Coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic has greatly impacted the music industry, from festival cancelations to disrupted album release schedules. On Wednesday, Spotify announced its plan to help struggling artists affected by COVID-19 with a new feature that allows personal links to donation pages. Artists will soon be able to link out to fundraising pages, whether for themselves, a friend, or a larger charity, and Spotify won't take a cut of the proceeds.

The forthcoming initiative will be optional, but artists who are interested can currently sign up to take part once it's available.

Spotify is also partnering with foundations MusiCares, PRS Foundation, and Help Musicians, and will match donations up to $10 million through its Spotify COVID-19 Music Relief project, in addition to making its own separate donation to the organizations.

In an effort to help artists continue their work while staying at home, programs from Spotify Creator Tools are waiving fees or extending free trials.

The Coronavirus pandemic has made its own impact on the music industry, both independent and big-name artists. Stars like Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, BTS, Madonna, and more have canceled or rescheduled tour dates due to the crisis, and festivals like Coachella, Stagecoach, and South by Southwest have also been postponed.

For now, many artists are taking to live streams to continue working and making money, broadcasting concerts, or, if you're Miley Cyrus, an at-home talk show.