Shaking off Spotify is easy for Taylor Swift; for everyone else, it's complicated

The music industry trembled when Taylor Swift — the only artist with a 2014 release that's sold one million copies — removed all of her music from Spotify.

Swift's departure, which came after the streaming company criticized her for not making her 1989 album available to stream, has raised the question: If a major artist can just walk away from Spotify, how essential is it to the industry?

See also: Taylor Swift's '1989' earns biggest sales week of any album in 12 years

The answer varies, and largely depends on the type of artist. While Swift and Spotify will probably wind up getting back together, most musicians don't have the luxury of taking a break from what little revenue and exposure it provides. Read more...

More about Music, Entertainment, Celebrities, and Spotify