Spotify pulls top comedians' albums amid royalty dispute

If you've wondered where your favorite comedy album went on Spotify, you're far from alone. The Wall Street Journalreports Spotify has pulled hundreds of comedians' albums after it and rights administration company Spoken Giants stalled on a deal for written-word royalties. The missing albums come from stars like Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish and John Mulaney.

As with earlier songwriter disputes, this latest fight revolves around compensating more than just the performance. Spoken Giants wants its artists to receive royalties as the joke writers, not just for their time behind the microphone. The rights firm started talking to online services in the spring, but learned just before American Thanksgiving that Spotify would pull comedians' work until there was an agreement.