Max Julian, known professionally as Lil Ju Made Da Beat, isn’t holding back when it comes to Spotify shortchanging artists and producers.
The hit producer, known for Megan Thee Stallion’s biggest tracks like “Body,” “Big Ole Freak,” and “Thot Sh**,” seemingly took notice of social media users sharing their Spotify Wrapped stats, which is the annual slideshow showing listeners music habits. He took a moment to slam the platform for underpaying musicians despite many of his records being in people’s top five.
“I hate that y’all actually use Spotify instead of literally ANY other streaming service,” he wrote, urging fans to support Megan’s music on platforms that pay better. “They pay us the least.”
I hate that yall actually use Spotify instead of literally ANY other streaming service. They pay us the least 🥲
— Max Julian (@LilJuMadeDaBeat) December 5, 2024
Lil Ju isn’t the only artist criticizing Spotify for its skimpy payouts. In 2021, Noname urged fans to hold the platform accountable for low artist payouts.
“Fans love wrapped because it’s a way to celebrate their favorite artists. Artists love wrapped because it’s nice to see yearly analytics and love from fans. Meanwhile, Spotify pays less than a cent: an average payout of $0.004 per stream,” she tweeted at the time.
Drake has also accused Spotify, along with Univeral Music Group, of scheming to inflate Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” streaming numbers.
