John Washington III Tells Spotify No: American King Records Will Not Hand Over Control of Its Masters

John Washington III, the owner of American King Records and a 2028 presidential candidate, has drawn a public line with the world's biggest streaming platform. "Spotify, my answer is a big no," he 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," John Washington III wrote.

His objection, as he stated it, is about who controls the recordings. John Washington III wrote that he did not build his label, invest his money, develop his artists and create his catalog so a streaming platform could negotiate how other people use the label's master recordings. If another artist wants to remix, sample or commercially use one of those recordings, he wrote, there is a proper way to do business: contact American King Records, negotiate a licensing agreement, and discuss the upfront payment, royalties, ownership and terms of use. "That is how the music business works," he wrote.

John Washington III said he is not interested in handing over control of the masters in exchange for an undisclosed streaming royalty that might amount to fractions of a penny, and he framed the point as a lesson for independent artists and labels: "Your music is an asset. Your master recordings are property. Your rights have value." His stated position lists 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 for pennies. "Our music. Our masters. Our rights. Our decision," he wrote. No response from Spotify is recorded in his post, and none is reported here.