Death Cab for Cutie on Apple Music: Streaming Services Trying to Build Monopolies

Photo of Death Cab for Cutie courtesy artist

Death Cab for Cutie isn't exactly welcoming the newly announced Apple Music with open arms.

Frontman Ben Gibbard admits previous comments about rival Tidal "were maybe a little bit harsh," but he said in a new interview with NME that "it seems like the model for every streaming service that exists at the moment is based upon building a monopoly. [They say], 'When people start using our service, that’s when artists will see real money.' But that’s just not how it’s going to happen."

He went on to say that from his perspective, the various streaming services are "all the same. Their platforms differ, but in essence I don’t see much of a difference between any of them at this point." He also pointed out that he's curious to know if Apple or Spotify have reached out to "artists who are not billionaires, who are not millionaires" about how their services directly impact lesser-known acts.