Brantley Gilbert Stays Mum on Removal of Album From Spotify

Brantley Gilbert is one of a growing list of artists, including Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean and Justin Moore, who have removed their music from the streaming service Spotify. But while some artists, like Swift and Aldean, have been vocal about the decision, Gilbert is keeping his reasons to himself.

"I try my best to stay out of all of that," he explains to Billboard of the decision. "I write songs. I perform songs. When it comes to that kind of thing, I don't know if it would benefit me one way or the other to tell you what my opinion is."

Gilbert has, so far, only removed his most recent album, 'Just As I Am.' But while he may not want to share the reasons behind his decision, Swift, who was the first country artist to remove her music, has plenty to say on the topic.

“In my opinion, the value of an album is, and will continue to be, based on the amount of heart and soul an artist has bled into a body of work, and the financial value that artists (and their labels) place on their music when it goes out into the marketplace,” Swift explains. “Piracy, file sharing and streaming have shrunk the numbers of paid album sales drastically, and every artist has handled this blow differently.”

Aldean, who has also only removed his recent 'Old Boots, New Dirt' album, is also speaking freely about his decision.

“The debate the whole music industry is having on streaming is complicated,” Aldean says. “And while I’m definitely paying attention to the business side of things, I am first and foremost an artist. I’m an artist whose career has been built by the songwriters, publishers, producers and engineers that line Music Row in Nashville. What they do has value, and I want everyone who is involved in making my music to be paid fairly. This is about trying to do what is right for the people who have given me a great life."

Gilbert's 'Just As I Am' record is available for download here.