The National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) has launched an extensive podcast takedown initiative against Spotify, targeting over 2,500 instances of alleged music infringement in podcasts. This action involves 19 member publishers, including major publishing companies.

The move comes in response to Spotify's recent reclassification of U.S. subscriptions as bundles, which has resulted in reduced compositional royalty payments exceeding $100 million. The NMPA initially addressed these concerns in a May 2024 cease-and-desist letter, citing unauthorized use of lyrics, music videos, and musical works in podcasts without proper compensation to publishers.

NMPA president David Israelite emphasized that this action follows multiple warnings and called for podcast hosts to advocate for better creator compensation. The organization has pledged to continue issuing takedown notices until Spotify addresses these concerns.

Spotify has dismissed the NMPA's action as "a weak reaction" to the January 2025 dismissal of an MLC lawsuit challenging their bundling reclassifications. A Spotify spokesperson stated they will promptly review and remove episodes where appropriate, while questioning the NMPA's delayed response to their previous requests for specific details.

The scope of potential infringement remains significant, with numerous podcasts featuring:

• TikTok video compilations with music
• Unauthorized mixtapes
• Television episodes with licensed music
• Unauthorized concert recordings
• Various other music-containing content

The NMPA maintains its position that it "will not stop until the platform fixes its podcast problem" and ensures fair compensation for songwriters.

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