Emily White was dragged for predicting the future of music streaming 12 years ago. Where is she now?

As a long-time observer and participant in the ever-evolving music industry, I find myself deeply moved by Emily White’s journey and her vision for a more equitable future. Having spent years at NPR and then at Spotify, she has seen the industry from both sides of the fence, giving her a unique perspective that few possess.

The title of a 2012 NPR blog post, penned by Emily White, who was an intern there at age 20, suggested that it appeared innocent, but in reality, it implied conflict. The title was “I Never Owned Any Music to Begin With.”

A music enthusiast named White, who amassed a sizable digital collection through methods not always within the law, had begun drafting an essay prior to her internship and walked into the NPR offices in Washington D.C. with a draft in hand. Navigating the shifting musical terrain post-Napster, White was driven to express her vision: The future belonged to streaming, and it was affordable. In essence, the writing was on the wall, and CDs were being discarded. For most listeners, the era of buying individual albums had passed, whether they liked it or not.

In her own words, she expressed that musicians and their albums have been significant in her life, but she’s never put money into them beyond concert tickets and merchandise. Later on, she admitted that concert tickets and T-shirts aren’t enough to support them financially. However, she doesn’t believe herself or her peers will ever buy albums. Instead, she thinks we will pay for convenience.

White felt a sense of pride when she captured a screenshot of her article being displayed on the NPR homepage, assuming that would be the end of it. However, the internet had other plans for her. Initially, comments began to appear on the article’s page, gradually increasing in number. Soon, a heated debate erupted among disgruntled music enthusiasts and creators – David Lowery of Camper Van Beethoven even wrote an emotional appeal – concerning the ethics of supporting the arts. Within just three days, this incident was picked up by The New York Times: “NPR Intern Gets an Earful After Blogging About 11,000 Songs, Almost None Paid For” read the headline.

Speaking from her home in Brooklyn during our video call, White, age 33, shared that the original blog post and its subsequent outcomes had positively impacted her life in numerous ways. However, she also mentioned it had been a deep wound for quite some time.

In a typical internet fashion, grabbing the spotlight often turns out to be a harsh ordeal. An open letter titled “An Open Letter to NPR Intern Emily White” was published by Vice, featuring an image of Veruca Salt, a spoiled character from “Willy Wonka.” Yo La Tengo, a band mentioned favorably by White in her essay, playfully tweeted at her, “We just stole your bike.” In his piece, Lowery implied that White’s actions were exacerbating the financial struggles of musicians, which he said had been a contributing factor to the suicides of two of his musician friends, Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse and Vic Chesnutt. “It is not the responsibility of governments or corporations to encourage ethical behavior,” he wrote. “We must do that ourselves.” (Lowery declined an interview request for this article.)

Approximately a few months past, an evaluation for Washington City Paper was written by Lindsay Zoladz, who compared White to the most debated D.C. intern since Monica Lewinsky due to her controversial nature. Indeed, this assessment was not hyperbole. Upon revisiting White’s initial 500-word essay, one might suspect that a passage was overlooked where she demanded the execution of all musicians in a rather extreme manner.

Looking back on those turbulent years, I can’t help but reflect on the challenges we faced as a generation, particularly when it comes to homeownership and amassing physical collections like CD towers filled with music. During that time, discussions often centered around our behavior without delving into the underlying factors.

Following my college years, I spent a few formative years penning down thoughts about the future of music at Billboard. One particular essay I wrote expressed the shared sentiment among us music enthusiasts: “Let’s all agree – we want our talented artists to keep creating great music, and for that to happen, they need to be financially sustained.” However, my trail seemed to fade after that point.

White responded, “No, not at all,” when I inquired if the criticism for her article led her to work at Spotify, implying it strengthened her belief in streaming’s value. Instead, she explained, it fostered a more curious or questioning mindset. As a music industry controversy magnet, she stated that this journey led her to: “We need to find the right approach.”

As per White’s account, her popularity on NPR didn’t influence her landing the Spotify job. Instead, a Spotify employee discovered a Medium post written by White in 2015 about podcasts. This post caught the employee’s attention and led to an offer for a product management role to help build the emerging Spotify for Artists program. This program aimed to provide musicians with more data about their music, such as where it was being played and how many streams it was generating. Additionally, it was designed to integrate merchandise and ticket sales within the app. Excited by the opportunity, White accepted the role.

As a film enthusiast, I found myself engaged in a video conversation with an individual who embodies some of the cultural nuances often associated with diversity. Her hair, a mass of curly black strands, was a testament to her heritage. Adorning her was a tour shirt of the talented Angel Olsen, and her surroundings spoke volumes about her love for music – a collection of tapes, vinyl records, and even an antique iPod Nano, if you can imagine that!

Initially, I contacted White about conducting an interview a few years back, and she expressed her willingness; however, she mentioned that Spotify wouldn’t permit it at the time. In December last year, Spotify let go around 1,500 employees, which was about 17% of their workforce, including White. This development freed her up for an interview, but due to certain restrictions, primarily a non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreement in her separation package, she couldn’t engage in candid discussions about Spotify.

Glenn McDonald, previously known as Spotify’s “Data Alchemist,” expressed that the limitations on what he and Emily can discuss is disappointing, given that they were both affected by the same round of layoffs. Interestingly, despite these restrictions, McDonald’s book about streaming is set to be released this month titled “You Have Not Yet Heard Your Favourite Song.”

McDonald admitted that he holds a generally positive view towards the Spotify model, and his book offers a balanced perspective, filled with both apprehension and delight regarding streaming. However, it’s safe to say that Spotify wasn’t overly enthusiastic about this, to put it mildly. Regardless of their reaction, McDonald chose to proceed with the project.

In his conversation from his AI startup, Imbue, McDonald expressed that secrecy often leaves everyone speculating. He added that when one must guess, they tend to align their assumptions or fears with the information, reflecting human nature. He also stated that suppressing employee voices doesn’t aid societal advancement. Regarding this story, Spotify chose not to comment.

White might not disclose specific details about Spotify’s financial hardships causing layoffs or the type of car CEO Daniel Ek owns. However, she is open to expressing her broader views on music streaming in general. I was content with this, as it was the overall perspective that she was initially pursuing when she began making waves back in 2012, as Spotify was still finding its footing. In her initial essay, what she envisioned was a vast Spotify-like library of music accessible across multiple devices, although she hoped for a model that would return more revenue to artists than the current one. Indeed, she achieved the first aspect, at least.

During her twenties, White expressed to me that streaming might eventually become as essential as water bills for everyone worldwide. As it turned out, this model works exceptionally well for content owners with vast libraries and artists experiencing rapid growth, but not for everyone. She later acknowledged that she hadn’t fully grasped at the time that implementing such a system on an outdated infrastructure would be like running a high-speed train on a decaying track, leading to issues such as lack of revenue flow and numerous system flaws.

An interesting fact that sheds light on the situation is this: After accounting for inflation, music revenue has been growing consistently over the past ten years and currently mirrors the industry’s state in the 1970s. This might imply there should be sufficient funds to distribute. However, the distribution mechanism seems to be failing the middle-tier artists, who are struggling economically, as they express their inability to earn a living due to the current system.

In a simpler, more conversational way, Instead of focusing on how to divide the existing pie fairly, White prefers to discuss strategies for making the pie larger.

In White’s opinion, streaming platforms may not adequately compensate artists as it fails to reward the intensity of fan devotion in any way. For instance, a $10.99-per-month Spotify subscription might be insufficient for dedicated fans, who are often ready to spend more on music they deeply care about. This is similar to providing fast food to gourmets and expecting them to be content. White argues that there’s an untapped market for those seeking a more substantial, tangible experience – an idea that could explain why half of the people who bought vinyl records in 2022 didn’t even own a turntable, as suggested by a Luminate survey.

White is increasingly optimistic about innovative means for artists to interact with their audience beyond platforms like Spotify or Apple Music. Naturally, merchandise such as albums, shirts, and concert tickets are expected, but this also encompasses emerging ideas such as Substack, Patreon, and Vault – subscription services that provide a closer look into an artist’s personal life and creative process. Recently, White has been experimenting with James Blake’s Vault service. (By the way, White remains a fan of Yo La Tengo and makes an effort to attend their concerts whenever possible; no ill feelings.)

In simpler terms, this could be interpreted as suggesting that some people view this as asking consumers to recycle as a means to counteract the environmental harm caused by corporations, much like pressuring individuals to support art in 2012. However, if implemented correctly, this non-streaming economy would embody a mutual exchange of value between artists and their supporters or fans, as explained by White.

“People often tend to pick options that are easy and affordable,” she explained. “However, it’s also typical for consumers to think about factors such as ethical labor standards and eco-friendly products. This is why people who contribute to NPR receive souvenirs like mugs or tote bags in return. It’s a donation, but it also symbolizes that they support NPR.”

Since White has once more become a free agent, she’s been having discussions to potentially contribute towards shaping the environment she advocates for. In essence, she expressed that she remains hopeful, as she feels there are numerous possibilities. Streaming is not the ultimate answer or solution in her view.

One interesting fact I discovered is that many people at Spotify were unaware of White’s background with NPR. For example, Glenn McDonald was aware of the NPR article and knew White personally, but it wasn’t until later that he connected the dots. White shared that the backlash from the angry crowd had left some scars, and she preferred not to be identified solely by that past event.

“She admitted it took her quite some time, about 12 years to be precise, to rebuild confidence in her opinions and viewpoints because she worried they might have been foolish or incorrect. But now, she feels more assured and says, ‘If my thoughts were valid a dozen years ago, I believe they’re still valid today.'”

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2024-08-01 13:32