Spotify has launched Artist Fundraising Pick, a new feature for artists to raise money for themselves, their crew or a charity amid the COVID-19 pandemic, directly through the app.
"With this feature, we simply hope to enable those who have the interest and means to support artists in this time of great need," the company said in a statement. You can find more information on the feature, including a list of verified charities that Spotify is allowing artists to raise money for, via the company’s website.
Spotify has partnered with mobile payment service Cash App to establish a $1 million relief fund for the feature, which artists can use to link to a Cash App, GoFundMe or PayPal account from their Spotify landing pages.
Spotify’s decision to launch Artist Fundraising Pick has come under some criticism however, with many drawing attention to the low rate of payment that music-makers get from streams via the service. It’s argued that increasing these rates will further support artists and limit their need to use features like Artist Fundraising Pick.
The launch of this new features follows from the announcement last month of Spotify’s COVID-19 Music Relief project, which sees the company partner with music charities to advise artists on seeking financial relief. The company is also using the project to match donations to charities that are supporting artists during the crisis.
