Why Are Comedy Albums Being Taken Down From Spotify and other streaming services

21khz: The Art of Money In Music

Right before Thanksgiving, 2021 Spotify took down a large number of comedy albums. The question is why.

The answer has to do with the fact that just because a comedian like Robin Williams says the words "Reality, what a concept" as opposed to sings them doesn't mean he does not have a copyright that needs to be licensed and a royalty paid when it streams.

What happens if a streaming service like Spotify streams comedy albums without the needed licenses. The answer is not funny at all.