John Washington III Tells Spotify His Answer Is a Big No on Remixes of American King Records Masters

John Washington III has drawn a hard line on who controls his record label's music. "Spotify, my answer is a big no," John Washington III wrote, saying he has a serious problem with streaming platforms attempting to negotiate deals that allow other people to remix artists' music. "Spotify is a streaming platform. Spotify is not my record company," he wrote.

John Washington III, who identified himself as the owner of American King Records, said he did not build his label, invest his money, develop his artists and create his music catalog so a streaming platform could negotiate how other people use the label's master recordings. Anyone who wants to remix, sample or commercially use a master recording, he wrote, follows the proper way to conduct business: "You come to the record company. You contact American King Records. You negotiate a licensing agreement. You discuss the upfront payment, royalties, ownership, and terms of use. That is how the music business works."

He extended the point to independent artists and labels generally. "Your music is an asset. Your master recordings are property. Your rights have value," John Washington III wrote, arguing that easier remix technology is no reason to surrender control of recordings or hand over a catalog for, in his words, fractions of a penny in undisclosed streaming royalties. His position, he wrote, is plain: no unauthorized remixes of the label's masters, no third-party licensing without the label's approval, and no giving away control of the catalog. "Our music. Our masters. Our rights. Our decision," he wrote. "And my decision is a big, fat no."