Musician sues Jay-Z’s Tidal and Google Play, says he was cheated of royalties

(credit: Tidal)

John Emanuele, who plays in the ambient and electronic music group The American Dollar, has sued three different music streaming services in the past two weeks. Emanuele and his lawyers say that in different ways, Slacker Radio, Jay-Z's company Tidal, and now Google Play, have all ripped him off.

The lawsuits are all proposed class actions, as Emanuele's lawyers believe other artists have been cheated, too.

The complaint (PDF) against Tidal was filed on Saturday. It's received the most press attention, in part because Tidal's marketing is based on the idea that it will pay artists more generously than other streaming services. The lawsuit claims Tidal never served a "notice of intention," which is required to get the needed compulsory music license, and never paid the necessary royalties.

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