Spotify hasn’t removed Senator Cory Bernardi‘s controversial Hottest 100-style Australia Day playlist from its streaming service, contrary to reports.
Taking to Facebook overnight, Bernardi’s Australian Conservatives party published an email it allegedly received from Spotify, notifying them that their ‘Australian Conservatives 100’ playlist was reported by users as having violated user guidelines.
“We’ve received notice that your uploaded content has been reported as including inappropriate or offensive content and violates our profile and playlist image guidelines,” the email reads.
“We’ve removed it from Spotify. If you believe you received this notice in error, please respond back to this email with an appeal with five business days and we will look into the case.”
Sharing a screenshot of the email, Australian Conservatives wrote in response, “Spotify has deemed our festive Australia Day playlist of 100 Aussie classics ‘too offensive’.
“Music for everyone – unless you’re a conservative.”
Image: Australian Conservatives
However, despite reports that the playlist has been removed or banned by Spotify, it is still available online at the time of writing. The playlist is now without a title, however — it was previously called ‘Australia Day’ on Spotify.
In a statement to Music Feeds, Spotify says, “We are looking into this particular matter further but it’s our understanding the playlist is available to listeners.”
UPDATE: In a second statement to Music Feeds, Spotify says:
“We have investigated reports of a playlist being removed from our service and have concluded that these reports are incorrect.”
“The playlist in question has always been available for listening; however, what was in fact removed was the title and/or image for the playlist created by the user.
“This action was an automated response addressing user complaints about the playlist.”
Spotify’s terms and conditions for “brand playlists and sharing” include the lines:
“The Brand may not create or share any Spotify playlists, whether within the Spotify Service or elsewhere, that imply an endorsement or relationship between the Brand and any artist or any other party, unless the Brand has independently obtained the rights to imply such an endorsement. Brands may wish to consult Spotify’s Brand Playlist Guidelines.”
Bernardi told Sky News yesterday that he had “a backup [of the playlist] on another account” ready to go in case Spotify deleted the original one. He also said Darren Hayes and Hilltop Hoods — who have both criticised his playlist — have received “zero votes” in the ‘Australian Conservatives 100’, which we’re sure they’d be pretty happy about.
A number of other acts featured on the ‘Australian Conservatives 100’ have publicly criticised Bernardi for aligning their music with his political party, including Powderfinger and Jimmy Barnes.
You can scroll through or stream the Australian Conservatives 100, below.
UPDATE: More Aussie Artists Tell Cory Bernardi Where To Stick His Conservative Hottest 100
