NMPA’s Bold Move Targeting Spotify’s Podcast Infringement

The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) has escalated its long-running battle against Spotify, focusing its efforts on the podcasting realm with a new wave of takedown actions.

On the heels of Spotify’s Q4 2024 earnings report, which saw the streaming platform’s stock price hit a record high, the NMPA announced that it had identified over 2,500 instances of copyright infringement in podcasts on Spotify.

This bold move comes as part of an ongoing initiative to ensure songwriters and publishers are fairly compensated for their works, especially as Spotify continues to dominate the music streaming industry.

The conflict between Spotify and the NMPA isn’t a new one, though it has taken on new urgency in recent months.

The core of the dispute revolves around Spotify’s reclassification of its U.S. subscriptions as “bundles” in 2024, a move that significantly reduced the compositional royalties paid to songwriters and music publishers. The bundling system allows Spotify to combine subscriptions across its services (music, podcasts, and other offerings) into one package, thereby reducing the per-unit royalty payouts to publishers.

In May 2024, the NMPA issued a cease-and-desist letter to Spotify, raising alarms over the platform’s practices. Specifically, the association criticized Spotify’s distribution of music videos, lyrics, and podcasts containing musical works without obtaining proper licenses or compensating the copyright holders.

The NMPA pointed out that these actions were in direct violation of copyright laws, which require that music publishers and administrators be compensated for their works when used in a commercial setting.

As Spotify’s popularity soared, particularly in the podcasting space, the NMPA’s concerns grew more urgent. In January 2025, a lawsuit filed by the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), which had challenged Spotify’s bundling practices, was dismissed. This legal setback only heightened tensions and motivated the NMPA to take more aggressive action, ultimately leading to the identification of over 2,500 infringements in podcasts on the platform.

The NMPA’s takedown initiative is aimed at 19 of its member publishers, including the major publishing arms of major record labels. According to NMPA President and CEO David Israelite, the takedown actions were to be expected, given the prior warnings and cease-and-desist letter issued to Spotify in May 2024. Israelite emphasized that this is just the beginning, with more demands expected to follow.

“This is not a surprise,” said Israelite, addressing the music industry’s longstanding concerns about Spotify’s failure to fairly compensate creators. “Spotify will stop at nothing to undervalue songwriters on behalf of its bottom line.” He also pointed out that Spotify’s bundling strategy had already resulted in significant royalty savings, estimated at over $100 million.

Israelite’s comments also extended beyond the podcasts themselves, accusing Spotify of not only exploiting the work of songwriters through bundling but also undermining the value of music compositions more broadly. “We will not stop until the platform fixes its podcast problem, and all other areas where songwriters are not earning what they deserve,” Israelite concluded.

As one might expect, Spotify responded dismissively to the NMPA’s claims, framing the takedown notices as a weak retaliation following the dismissal of the MLC lawsuit. A Spotify spokesperson argued that the NMPA’s delay in reporting the alleged infringements was a sign that the takedown effort was little more than a “press stunt.” The spokesperson went on to highlight that platforms like Spotify, which host millions of user-generated content (UGC) pieces, routinely face takedown requests, and that Spotify is always ready to act where necessary.

“Platforms like Spotify receive takedown requests on a regular basis,” the spokesperson noted. “We will act promptly and, where appropriate, remove the episodes in question.” However, this response failed to address the underlying criticism that Spotify has long ignored the music industry’s calls for fair compensation for the use of copyrighted works, especially in podcasts.

The NMPA’s concerns about Spotify’s podcast offerings are not limited to a handful of high-profile cases. A simple search of Spotify’s podcast catalog yields a wide array of unlicensed content, from music-heavy TikTok compilations and mixtapes to concert renditions and unauthorized television episodes featuring popular songs.

These pieces of content are often uploaded by third-party creators who fail to secure the appropriate rights to distribute music. While Spotify is quick to act on takedown notices, the sheer volume of infringing content on the platform suggests a broader, systemic issue with content oversight.

This pattern highlights a fundamental challenge in the digital age, where platforms like Spotify host massive amounts of user-generated content that may bypass traditional licensing channels.

The NMPA’s takedown initiative is not just a fight for a few hundred podcast episodes; it’s part of a larger effort to address a pervasive issue that could have long-term consequences for the music industry as a whole.

While it’s unclear how long this legal and regulatory battle will continue, the NMPA’s actions signal a growing movement among music publishers and creators to hold streaming platforms accountable.

The music industry, particularly songwriters and publishers, has increasingly voiced its dissatisfaction with Spotify’s royalty practices. With growing scrutiny from organizations like the NMPA, and the continued expansion of podcasting as a commercial space, the outcome of this conflict could reshape the landscape of music streaming and digital content distribution.

Spotify, for its part, will need to navigate the legal and public relations fallout from its ongoing dispute with music publishers. While the company has continued to grow and innovate in other areas—such as podcasting—it will likely need to reconsider its approach to music licensing and content distribution if it wants to maintain positive relations with creators and avoid further legal challenges.

As 2025 unfolds, all eyes will remain on this high-stakes battle, which could have profound implications for the music and podcasting industries alike. Whether or not Spotify will be forced to amend its policies in the face of mounting pressure remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the NMPA is committed to ensuring that songwriters are fairly compensated for their work, and it won’t back down easily.