Legal to DJ with Spotify?

[Grymm_ONE]

I looked this up, and someone states it is against the Terms of Service, someone else says it's fine. Is there a quote someone can give me with this violation? Thanks!

[Peter__]

Hey! Welcome to the community 🙂 

It is indeed in violation of Section 4 of the Spotify terms of service:

4. Licence and assignment
The Spotify Service and the content provided through it are the property of Spotify or Spotify's licensors, and we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, revocable licence to make personal, non-commercial use of the Spotify Service and to receive the media content made available through the Spotify Service in your Local Country, based on the Subscription or Trial you have selected (the “Licence”). This Licence shall remain in effect for a period of 20 years unless terminated by you or Spotify.

Peter

[Grymm_ONE]

Thanks, Peter!

   I know you don't have to do this, being unrelated to Spotify, but could you possibly point me to a legal way to download music for DJ gigs?

[Peter__]

I can't give you a link (since that would be against community guidelines) but I hear (and think) beatport is the place to be these days 😉 

Peter

[rockngoodppl]

ohh that sucks i was djing at my friend party

[Peter__]

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@rockngoodppl wrote:

ohh that sucks i was djing at my friend party

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As long as you wheren't being paid I would say you would probably get away with it, its a bit of a grey area!

Peter

[pcoventry76]

Indeed it is. A licence is not needed to listen to music you have downloaded even if you upload it so tsay google music as it's personal use. It's one of the grey areas(I asked the PPL/PRS this over the phone some time back). Otherwise you do need a licence.

I admit I have once used Spotify on my Ipad to get a song I wanted to play on my local radio station when I DJ'd there. Whether I got paid or not (I didn't) is not relevant and in this case whilst it might have breached Spotify's terms it didn't the law as we have full PRS/PPL and a FM/DAB/Internet licence

[robbm]

Algoriddim djay Pro is specificially marketed as "the first professional DJ software that integrates with Spotify, giving you instant access to millions of tracks". However, Spotify's response would suggest that it's illegal [edit: or at least against the Spotify terms and conditions] to use that key feature of this professional software in a professional context!

Obviously, it's an Algoriddim product (rather than a Spotify one). But it cannot have been produced without the consent and support of Spotify [edit: in fact, Spotify even promotes it - and its professional features: https://news.spotify.com/us/2014/05/22/djay2/].So is there special dispensation for users of Algoriddim djay Pro? Is such performance covered by the usual PRS license? Or are purchasers being deliberately misled by Spotify and Algoriddim?

[dotsync]

I would also like to know Spotify's stance on using the Djay app to DJ at a bar or club who has a performance license (ASCAP, BMI, etc).

[nubohemia]

If you haven't gotten an answer already.  Traxsource.com and beatport.com

[biglarry5]

It goes without saying that Spotify should protect its catalog from unauthorized use. However, the company could make a lot of extra money by selling licenses to music radio stations across the world for unlimited access to it for radio play through a specialized access interface. The listeners would benefit immensely, and the DJ's would be in seventh heaven with such a choice of material. The stations get their music for free from record labels anyway, so it's not like those labels would be affected financially by this deal. On the contrary - they would be helped by much richer broadcasting selections through Spotify. 

I'm saying this as a former radio host of an eclectic music show that played every genre of music under the sun for 25 years.

[biglarry5]

As a former all-genre radio DJ with 25 years of experience, I firmly believe that Spotify should create a special platform of its streaming service for radio stations only if at all legally possible, which would include its full catalog.The Internet lists a few thousand music radio stations in America, and I'm sure the sky is the limit for the number of such stations across the world. If you charge up to $500/mo. to public, non-commercial stations and around $1,000 to the commercial ones, pretty soon, you'd be collecting additional millions of dollars for yourselves, the labels and the artists. Of course, the price can be negotiated based on the part of the world you're dealing with. This would be another avenue for advertising the Spotify brand: the participating non-profit stations would be obligated to at least mention that their broadcasts are enabled by Spotify, and commercial outlets would have to air ads touting your service. I believe this would also revitalize the radio industry - a benefit to all participants in the music business. Most radio stations receive their material free of charge anyway, but it is limited to what the labels will send.  

[DaOriginalRebeL]

it's not legal to smoke weed but how many millions of people do and don't get caught. Who would stop you using spotify to dj??

[captainkubar]

I know personally lots of people doing it, don't know about legality wise though