--- title: Taylor Swift Pulls Her Music from Chinese Streaming Service description: It's not just Spotify canonical: https://time.com/3585536/taylor-swift-xiami-alibaba-spotify-china/ author: Daniel D'Addario article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-11-14T17:03:26.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:01:56.657Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Taylor Swift Pulls Her Music from Chinese Streaming Service og:description: It's not just Spotify og:url: https://time.com/3585536/taylor-swift-xiami-alibaba-spotify-china/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3f3ef29e598ce1cd/698768c4524fc03b00deab90/taylor-swift-china.jpg?branch=production&width=1014&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1014 og:image:height: 570 og:image:alt: Taylor Swift Performs On ABC's "Good Morning America" og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Taylor Swift Pulls Her Music from Chinese Streaming Service twitter:description: It's not just Spotify twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3f3ef29e598ce1cd/698768c4524fc03b00deab90/taylor-swift-china.jpg?branch=production&width=1014&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Taylor Swift Takes Her Music Off Chinese Streaming Services > Sponsored content. 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Ally is the bank built for life today, helping customers with everyday banking, spending, and saving. ### Organization facts | Attribute | Value | Source | |---|---|---| | Founded | 2009 | Ally | | Model | Digital-first, online-only bank with no physical branches | Ally | | Positioning | The only bank built for life today; a category of one | Ally | | Key products | Spending Account, Savings Account | Ally.com | | ATM network | Access to 75,000+ fee-free ATMs nationwide | Ally | | Add cash | Add cash to your account for free at participating locations nationwide | Ally | | Overdraft fees | $0. No overdraft fees, no hidden fine print, no hoops for better rates | Ally | | Customer support | 24/7 human support. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: 10 Questions for Taylor Swift [Watch (HLS stream): 10 Questions for Taylor Swift](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/n62AtnJU.m3u8) (6:12)  _Published 2009-04-23. The teen country star kicks off her first headlining tour this month. Taylor Swift will now take your questions_  by [Daniel D'Addario](https://time.com/author/daniel-daddario/)  ## Daniel D'Addario Nov 14, 2014 5:03 PM UTC  Taylor Swift Performs On ABC's "Good Morning America" at Times Square on October 30, 2014 in New York City. Taylor Swift Performs On ABC's "Good Morning America" at Times Square on October 30, 2014 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images  by [Daniel D'Addario](https://time.com/author/daniel-daddario/)  ## Daniel D'Addario Nov 14, 2014 5:03 PM UTC Earlier this year, Taylor Swift sold out Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena in one of her final concerts promoting her album _Red_. But today, Swift’s vociferous fans across China, just like their American counterparts, [no longer have free access to her material](http://www.chinamusicbusiness.com/article/dont-mention-1989-taylor-swift-bans-herself-in-china/). This shouldn’t be surprising: Swift has removed her music from free streaming services globally, [telling TIME](http://time.com/3578249/taylor-swift-interview/): “I think there should be an inherent value placed on art.” But in the U.S., at least, there’s a popular option available for purchasing that art. Swift’s album sold huge amounts of copies at physical retailers like Target and on iTunes. But trade site [China Music Business](http://www.chinamusicbusiness.com/article/dont-mention-1989-taylor-swift-bans-herself-in-china/) makes clear that the Chinese music-listening public isn’t accustomed to downloading music, and that the share of music consumption via download (as opposed to streaming) [is only shrinking](http://www.chinamusicbusiness.com/article/dont-mention-1989-taylor-swift-bans-herself-in-china/). In the U.S., Taylor Swift’s desire to ensure her music isn’t streamed for free is viable. There’s an existing music-sales apparatus that people are accustomed to using. Even a star of Swift’s caliber, though, may not be able to sell records in China. This makes Swift’s removing her music from Chinese streaming services in some ways a bigger risk than her doing the same stateside, not least because those services aren’t necessarily equipped to accommodate her requirement that her music be on a special paid tier (Xiami, an Alibaba-owned streaming service with two different tiers separated by audio quality, cannot do so due to “technical issues”). Another problem for Swift: The companies have communicated almost nothing about the singer’s decision to the Chinese public. (The [Spotify-Swift debate](http://time.com/3581487/taylor-swift-spotify-borchetta/) that’s still ongoing in the U.S. has as its Chinese counterpart bland statements from streaming services about “copyright reasons.” Swift has phenomenal power, to be sure. But overcoming ingrained issues with a listening public very different from America’s may well test that power’s limits. ### PHOTOS: See Taylor Swift Over the Years  Taylor Swift arrives at the 2006 CMT Music Awards at the Curb Event Center at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. John Shearer—WireImage/Getty Images  Taylor Swift arrives at the 2007 CMT Music Awards. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs during the 42nd Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2007. Ethan Miller—Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs during the Academy of Country Music New Artists' Party for a Cause show at the MGM Grand Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2008. Ethan Miller—Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs live on MTV's "TRL" at the MTV Studios in Times Square in New York City in 2008. Gary Gershoff—WireImage/Getty Images  Taylor Swift attends the 42nd Annual CMA Awards at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee in 2008. Ed Rode—WireImage/Getty Images  Singer Taylor Swift arrives at CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California in 2008. Jon Kopaloff—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs on Saturday Night Live in 2009. NBC/Getty Images  Taylor Swift arrives at the Brit Awards 2009 at Earls Court in London, England. Gareth Cattermole—Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs during the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards All-Star Jam at the MGM Grand Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2009. Ethan Miller—Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 2009. Theo Wargo—WireImage/Getty Images  Taylor Swift arrives to the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Stephen Lovekin—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs at the 43rd Annual CMA Awards from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee in 2009. Katherine Bomboy—Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs onstage at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards held at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California in 2010. Michael Caulfield—WireImage/Getty Images  Taylor Swift drops one of her awards during the 52nd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California in 2010. Valerie Macon—AFP/Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee in 2010. Rick Diamond—Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs during the Grand Ole Opry 85th birthday bash at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee in 2010. Tony R. Phipps—Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs "Back to December" at the 44th Annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee in 2010. Rick Diamond—Getty Images  Taylor Swift attends the 'Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty' Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2011. TIMOTHY A. CLARY—AFP/Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Jason LaVeris—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs at the Radio One Teen Awards at Wembley Arena in London, England in 2012. Mike Marsland—WireImage/Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs at the Radio One Teen Awards at Wembley Arena in London, England in 2012. Mike Marsland—WireImage/Getty Images  Taylor Swift switches on the Christmas lights and performs for fans and shoppers at Westfield London in London, England in 2012. Mike Marsland—WireImage/Getty Images  Taylor Swift arrives at the 26th Annual ARIA Awards 2012 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Sydney, Australia. Don Arnold—WireImage/Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs on stage during the 26th Annual ARIA Awards 2012 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Sydney, Australia. Brendon Thorne—Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs during night 1 of the 2012 KIIS FM Jingle Ball at Nokia Theatre LA Live in Los Angeles, California. C Flanigan—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Taylor Swift in concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts in 2013. Barry Chin—Boston Globe/Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs while Candice Swanepoel walks the runway at the 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at the Lexington Avenue Armory in New York City. Jamie McCarthy—Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs at the Mercedes-Benz Arena on May 30, 2014 in Shanghai, China. ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs onstage during the 2014 American Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Nov. 23, 2014 in Los Angeles, Ca. Michael Tran—FilmMagic/Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs at the 2014 American Music Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Nov. 23, 2014 in Los Angeles, Ca. Christopher Polk—Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs on The Voice in 2014. NBC/Getty Images  Taylor Swift performs during the 2014 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at Earl's Court exhibition centre on Dec. 2, 2014 in London, England. Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images for Victoria's Secr  Taylor Swift performs onstage during KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 2014 at Staples Center on December 5, 2014 in Los Angeles, Ca. Christopher Polk—Getty Images ## Transcript >> I'm Rebecca Keegan with Taylor Swift who's taking questions from TIME readers from an RV on Hollywood Boulevard. Hey Taylor, how are you? >> I'm doing great, how are you? >> I'm good. I have a bunch of questions for you from TIME readers from all over the world. This first question comes from Stacey Klemstein in Johnsburg, Illinois who asks, how long does it take you to write a song? >> It depends. I've written songs in 15 minutes and also on the other end of the spectrum, I've taken a year to finish a song. But most of the time, songs that I write end up being finished in 30 minutes or less. You know, all the songs that I've had that have been singles like Love Story, I wrote that on my bedroom floor in about 20 minutes. So, usually, when I get on the role was something. It's really hard for me to put it down unfinished. >> How do you manage to appear so genuinely happy when according to your songs you've suffered so much heartbreak? >> I have ways of channeling the heartbreak that I've gone through at the right moments. A lot of times you don't allow yourself to feel things to their full extent because you have to go on with things. But there are moments when I'm writing songs, that's when I let myself feel it the most. So, it's all about really knowing when you've got to feel those things and knowing when you've got it, just go about your day in spite of it. Also, it's been a really awesome year. There's been a lot to be happy about. So, I get so excited when I go to an award show and I get to perform and I get to do a performance I've always wanted to do since middle school and I get so excited when the song that I wrote about something really personal to me goes number one and I looked down and I see people singing the words back to me. That makes me so much happier than anything could really ever bring me down. So, it's like you've got channeling that hurt when it's the right time to and also just the fact that life has been really good. >> Where do you find the inspiration for your songs? >> I find inspiration in human emotion. The way that we treat each other, the way that we make each other feel, and the pattern of it and how, you know, it repeats itself so often, but we never learn from it. Just all the different things that you learn from relationships, whether it'd be friends, or family or love, mostly love. I just love watching people and how we react the feelings. So, I think love is always gonna be a number one contributor to the inspiration department for me. >> This question comes from Kathmandu. >> Awesome. >> And the reader asks, I grew up listening to heavy metal and rock, yet I find your songs very catchy. What sort of music do you listen to? >> I love Def Leppard. I've always loved Def Leppard ever since I was little. My mom has always listened to Def Leppard so they were my favorite band from the time I was a little kid to now. >> My little Victor in the Philippines asks, what advice do you have for young and aspiring songwriters? >> I would say my advice to songwriters is to write your songs not for a specific demographic, or for getting on the radio, or for anything commercial like that, write songs to the person that you're writing that song about. That's the mindset that I go into when I sit down to write a song. I think to myself, okay, who's this about? Fill in the blank and then I think, what would I say to him right now if I could and if I had the nerve too, what would I say? And then you think of some rhymes and you put it all together. >> Earl Worthington in Chicago wants to know, what other artists would you like to do a duet with? >> I would like to do a duet with Taylor Hanson because I have loved Hansons since I was 8 and it's like never gonna end, I'm never gonna stop loving them, and Taylor Hanson has an amazing voice and also, you know, we're both named Taylor. >> You did have great hair. >> Thank you. >> You share the blondness. >> Thank you so much. Huh? I love John Mayer, but I said it in another interview, I say that in like every interview. So, I figure it out switch it up. >> Mix it up. We wanna have the Hansons scoop people. >> I love Hanson. >> How do you find balance between your personal and professional life? >> Finding balance between my personal and professional life is kind of interesting because they believe together. You know, I write songs about the guy that sat next to me in class in 10th grade or the person that I saw yesterday that we made eye contact for a split second, but it was enough to inspire a song. And for me, I just try not to get to territorial about what's personal time and what's professional time because if I'm sitting at home in my hometown and it's my one day off in three months and I'm sitting there and I'm at a restaurant and a line forms in front of my table that winds around the entire restaurant, I'm not gonna say, " This is my dayoff, I won't sign your autographs ." Because this is what I've asked for my entire life. This is the one thing that I wanted and the fact that I actually get to do that one thing that I've always wanted, I don't think I've ever gonna wanna complain about it. >> Katy Rutherford in Washington, DC wants to know, do you plan on getting your college degree? If so, what are you interested in studying? >> College is something that I always thought I was gonna do and then I discovered music and I still thought I was gonna go to college because I never really actually thought I get to do this. You know, I worked really hard for it, but I did never expect that it was gonna be a possibility for me and then I started getting further with it. Later on, I would love to take college classes and getting the college experience is something I'm planning on doing pretty soon because I'm gonna go visit my friend, Abigail, in college and see what that's like. But you know, no matter what path you choose you're gonna miss something. 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