After a five-year legal saga, Spotify has emerged victorious in a case accusing the platform of streaming Eminem’s music without proper licensing.
Launched in 2019 by Eminem’s publisher, Eight Mile Style, the lawsuit sought around £30 million, claiming the rapper hadn’t been fully compensated for hits like “Lose Yourself” and “Without Me”, streamed billions of times.
Though the court found that Spotify lacked the necessary license for the tracks, it ruled that Spotify wouldn’t be liable for lost royalties. Instead, the court pointed to Kobalt Music Group, which collected royalties on behalf of Eight Mile, as potentially responsible for any penalties.
The confusion stemmed from a misunderstanding over who held the rights to license Eminem’s music. Eight Mile accused Spotify of “deceptive” actions, claiming the platform falsely licensed 243 of Eminem’s tracks. The BBC reports, that despite these claims, the judge noted that Eight Mile accepted royalty payments without ever raising concerns.
Interestingly, Eminem was not personally involved in the lawsuit and only learned about it after it was filed. His music remained available on Spotify throughout the case, and he continues to be one of the platform’s top artists with over 74 million monthly listeners.
In the end, the case serves as a reminder of how complex music licensing can be in the era of streaming. For now, Spotify walks away without owing damages, while the battle over proper royalties continues to reshape the industry.
