The NMPA (National Music Publishers' Association) has launched a major takedown initiative targeting alleged copyright infringement in Spotify podcasts, sending over 2,500 infringement notices on behalf of 19 member publishers, including major publishing companies.

This action follows the NMPA's May 2024 cease-and-desist letter to Spotify, which addressed concerns about unauthorized use of lyrics, music videos, and musical works in podcasts without proper compensation or consent from publishers.

NMPA president David Israelite emphasized that this action was anticipated following previous warnings and criticized Spotify's recent bundling reclassification, which has reportedly saved the company over $100 million in royalty payments.

Spotify responded by dismissing the NMPA's actions as "a weak reaction" to the recent dismissal of an MLC lawsuit challenging their bundling practices. A Spotify spokesperson stated they will "act promptly and, where appropriate, remove the episodes in question."

The scope of potential infringement on Spotify's podcast platform appears substantial, including:

• TikTok video compilations with music
• Unauthorized mixtapes
• TV episodes with copyrighted music
• Unauthorized concert recordings
• Various other content containing protected musical works

The NMPA has stated that these takedown notices are just the beginning, with more "demands to continue" as they pursue resolution of what they term Spotify's "podcast problem."

The conflict highlights growing tensions between music publishers and streaming platforms over proper licensing and compensation for musical works used in podcast content, as well as broader disputes about streaming royalty rates and classification practices.

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