Amazon Music has implemented new minimum-play thresholds as part of its "artist-centric" model, drawing criticism from IMPALA, the European independent music companies association.

Key details about Amazon Music's new streaming policy:

• Independent labels report approximately 70% of their repertoire being demonetized overnight
• The change follows Universal Music's similar "Streaming 2.0" initiative with Spotify, which requires 1,000 streams annually before generating royalties
• The exact threshold requirements for Amazon Music haven't been publicly disclosed
• The policy particularly impacts independent and unsigned artists

IMPALA's head Helen Smith emphasized the "disproportionate impact" on independent artists and their revenue streams. The organization criticizes this as part of Universal Music's broader "juggernaut strategy," which includes recent acquisitions of Downtown, [PIAS], and 8Ball Music.

Industry implications:

• Increased difficulty for indie artists to generate streaming revenue
• Growing competition from AI-generated content flooding platforms
• Potential opportunities for alternative streaming platforms
• Rising concerns about streaming fraud and questionable practices

The changes come amid broader industry shifts, including platform diversification (like Snoop Dogg's exclusive release on Tune.fm) and the increasing presence of non-music content like podcasts and audiobooks on major streaming services.

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