Why Is Garth Brooks Not On Spotify?

Part 1. Why Is Garth Brooks Not On Spotify?

Currently, Garth Brooks’ music is exclusively available on Amazon Music. This follows an exclusive deal he signed with the retail giant in 2016. After the agreement, Brooks made his first appearance at SXSW in over 16 years, where he discussed his decision and the meetings he had with Spotify and Apple Music.

“Spotify came in, Daniel Ek(Spotify founder/CEO) came down to sit with me, sweet man, I love Daniel, great guy. He’s a good guy who understands music, and I think he wants to help and believes 100 per cent he’s helping. Apple’s a little different story. They came in with their own set of rules, and if you’re already established, you have to change to get to them. I’m never going to change to fit their rules. Nice guys, we have respect for each other, we’re just never going to work together. So we were kind of dead in the water. Then out of the blue, thank God, Amazon shows up and wants to get into the streaming business…. The views they shared seemed to correlate with the views we shared.”

“The fact is that Amazon is a retailer as well. So you can sign your streaming deal, but part of that streaming deal is to move those physical units so the songwriters get paid. And people, we can talk all day that ‘Garth went on to raise his kids, what a great’— Garth did that for himself. I stick up for the songwriters because I’m freakin’ one of them! Everything I do for the songwriters, I do for myself.”

Brooks believes that Amazon Music aligns better with his vision for how people should enjoy his music. He values radio play, which was instrumental in his early career, and worries that the ability to skip songs on demand detracts from the experience of listening to an entire album. A significant point of contention is Spotify’s payment policies for musicians, which have led to Brooks' music being largely unavailable on the platform. Brooks prefers his work to be purchased rather than streamed, believing that artists should receive fair compensation. This disagreement reflects Brooks’ dedication to ensuring artists are adequately rewarded for their creations.

Part 2. TOP 10 Garth Brooks Songs Ever, Ranked

#10: Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up) - 'In Pieces' (1993)

This 1993 hit from his In Pieces album quickly became a honky-tonk favorite. The song tells the story of a young woman going out on a Friday night date. Her mother warns her to be back before dawn, but the night takes an unexpected turn. After a show and some food, the couple goes dancing late into the night, returning to her house at 4 AM. She misses her curfew and is grounded, tasked with chores as punishment, yet she sneaks out again at 6 PM the next day. Brooks showcases his playful side with this upbeat track, filled with deliberately provocative lyrics laced with sexual innuendo. The song features a standout vocal performance where Brooks rapidly delivers the lyrics, partially obscuring some of the more suggestive lines. Released in 1993, the song impressively climbed to No. 1 after just six weeks.

#9: Standing Outside The Fire - 'In Pieces' (1993)

The song "Standing Outside the Fire" is uplifting. The main character is Brandon, a young person with Down syndrome who declined to take part in the Special Olympics at his school. In 1994, Garth's upbeat song achieved a rare top 40 success in the UK.

"I was in Los Angeles in 1992, hanging out with a good friend, Jenny Yates," he explained. "In a conversation I was describing something that I thought was really close, but for me it just stood outside the fire. There was that brilliant moment of silence when we just looked at each other and smiled. Within an hour and half, this song was written. This is another song of inspiration, and Jenny is that way when it comes to inspiration. I don't know if I have ever met a bigger dreamer than Jenny - to the one who saw the vision and made it happen - may hats off to Jenny Yates."

#8: Much Too Young (to Feel This Damn Old) - 'Garth Brooks' (1989)

In 1989, Brooks made his debut with the song "Much Too Young (to Feel This Damn Old)" on Capitol Records. The track narrates the tale of a worn-out rodeo rider who, after years of competing, finds himself unable to endure the physical demands any longer. It also touches on the emotional toll of being away from home and witnessing a younger generation take over the industry. Interestingly, the lyrics resonate just as well with the life of a traveling musician. Brooks pays homage to one of his idols, rodeo musician Chris LeDoux, in the song, which he co-wrote with Randy Taylor. Evidently, this debut marked the beginning of a stellar career for Brooks, as evidenced by his subsequent success.

#7: The River - 'Ropin' the Wind' (1992)

In late 1992, Garth Brooks released "The River," marking his ninth number-one hit on the Billboard country charts. Much like his earlier hit "The Dance," "The River" encourages listeners to make the most of every moment in life. Co-written with Victoria Shaw, the song opens with a gentle, breezy melody that builds into a powerful chorus. Its lyrics inspire everyday people to fully experience life, urging them not to be complacent but to take risks and live fully: "Don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied / Choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tide." Released as the final single from his album Ropin' the Wind, this song solidified Brooks' status with yet another chart-topping hit.

#6: More Than a Memory - 'Ultimate Hits' (2007)

In 2007, Brooks made chart history with the debut of "More Than a Memory" at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Singles chart. This milestone came after a period of semi-retirement and was his first single release since then. More than just a return to the scene, "Memory" was the first time since 1998's "To Make You Feel My Love" that Brooks claimed the top spot, proving his vocal prowess remained as strong as ever. The song was penned by Lee Brice, Billy Montana, and Kyle Jacobs.

#5: Unanswered Prayers - 'No Fences' (1990)

By the time Garth Brooks released "Unanswered Prayers," he was already a household name in country music. This beautiful ballad quickly became one of his most beloved songs and played a significant role in keeping the No Fences album at the top of the charts for months. Co-written with Pat Alger and Larry Bastian, the song tells the story of a man who encounters his old flame at a high school game. If you've attended a Garth Brooks concert or listened to a live recording of "Unanswered Prayers," you know how deeply this song resonates with his fans. The lyrics are inspired by a real-life experience when Garth ran into an old high school sweetheart at a football game while he was with his then-wife, Sandy Mahl. In the end, the song poignantly reveals Garth's realization that he is happier with his wife than he would have been if his youthful prayers had been answered.

"Man, 'Unanswered Prayers' was a big part of my heart that went out on that record. A true life thing that happened to Sandy and myself. In October of '89, I saw my old high school flame. And I can say this now, at the time I couldn't. For the first two years of my married life, I really thought the girl that was for me was still that girl that was in high school. And now, man, just the realization that what you have is the best for you, and the best you could ever do in your lifetime. It sure makes you sleep well at night."

#4: The Thunder Rolls - 'No Fences' (1990)

Released as the fourth and final single from Garth Brooks' album No Fences, "The Thunder Rolls" became his sixth number-one hit on the country charts. Co-written with Pat Alger, who also contributed acoustic guitar to the track, Brooks ventured into the controversial topic of domestic abuse. The song's concept, driven by Brooks' vision, juxtaposes the turmoil within a marriage with a literal thunderstorm. Originally recorded by Tanya Tucker, the song included a third verse where the woman retrieves a gun to shoot her unfaithful husband. This verse was excluded from Brooks' version. Despite this change, the music video for "The Thunder Rolls" won the CMA Awards Video of the Year in 1991, marking Brooks' fifth consecutive number-one single.

“There is no doubt that the toughest song in the GB catalog has to be ‘The Thunder Rolls'. This song came out fighting the day it was released. Originally cut by Tanya Tucker in 1988, it was never put on an album. It came back to us in time for No Fences. My hat’s off to Pat Alger, a great writer and friend, and to music itself, because only music could withstand what this song has gone through.”

#3: The Dance - 'Garth Brooks' (1989)

Released in 1990 as the last single from his debut album, this beautiful ballad marked one of Garth Brooks' first major successes. "The Dance" has touched countless lives with its timeless appeal. From the unmistakable piano introduction to the strings in the second verse, and Tony Arata's perfect lyrics, the song stands out as a masterpiece. The music video features archival footage of influential figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy, using it as a platform to promote unity across gender, color, and religion. Garth Brooks has shared that the song carries a double meaning—it's both a love song about the end of a relationship and a tale of someone dying for a cause they believe in after a moment of glory. "The Dance" is widely considered Brooks' signature song, achieving number 1 on the charts where it remained for three weeks.

#2: Friends in Low Places - 'No Fences' (1990)

"Friends in Low Places" was the lead single from Garth Brooks' renowned album, No Fences. This album is one of nine in Brooks' discography to achieve Diamond status from the RIAA, signifying over 10 million copies sold. The song, crafted by DeWayne Blackwell and Earl Bud Lee, originated from a quirky incident when Lee forgot his wallet at a restaurant in Nashville. He joked, "Don't worry, I have friends in low places. I know the cook." This light-hearted moment inspired a song that would go on to top the charts for four weeks and earn the Single of the Year award at both the CMA and ACM Awards.

#1: If Tomorrow Never Comes - 'Garth Brooks' (1989)

"If Tomorrow Never Comes" is without a doubt one of Garth Brooks’ most iconic songs. Debuting in 1989, this ballad became Brooks' first country number one hit. Unlike typical radio tracks, it bravely touches on the delicate topic of death. Co-written by Brooks and Kent Blazy, the song narrates the thoughts of a man lying awake at night, contemplating if his wife would truly comprehend the depth of his love for her if he were to die in his sleep. Released as Brooks' second single, it soared to No. 1, cementing its place as one of his signature tracks.

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Part 3: Import Garth Brooks Songs to Spotify

Now we have learned that you can only play Garth Brooks songs on Amazon Music. However is it possible to import Garth Brooks album/playlist from Amazon Music to Spotify? The answer is yes. You need to download Garth Brooks from Amazon Music to your local device, then you can add the songs to Spotify as a playlist for playback.

To enjoy Garth Brooks songs on both Amazon Music and Spotify, you need a professional music converter tool called TunePat Music One. This all-in-one streaming music downloader tool allows you to quickly download music, albums, playlists, podcasts, and other audio content from popular streaming music services such as Amazon Music, Spotify, TIDAL, Deezer, YouTube Music, SoundCloud, etc. And you can convert music to common audio formats such as MP3 and FLAC at up to 10X conversion speed. The converted songs retain the original audio quality and ID3 tags. You can organize the songs as you like and import them into any player you prefer for playback.

Download Garth Brooks From Amazon Music

Step 1. Download and start TunePat Music One on your computer. From the main interface, you can see all the music services TunePat supports, choose "Amazon Music" here. TunePat allows you to download music from both the Amazon Music app and Amazon Music website, you can switch the audio source via the switch button in the upper-right corner. The difference between the two sources is: Amazon Music app enjoys up to UHD quality and 5x download speed, while Amazon Music web player has up to HD quality and 10x download speed. Here we choose Amazon Music app as an example.

Step 2. Visit the "Settings" tab in the left sidebar of the main interface. Here, you can customize the output format, bit rate, sample rate, output folder, output file name, etc. Generally speaking, for better audio quality, we choose "Amazon Record" as the conversion mode, and choose "Auto" as the output format which means downloading the original format and audio quality without conversion.

Step 3. Make sure you have downloaded the latest Amazon Music app on your computer, when you choose "Amazon Music app" as the audio source, the music app will pop up automatically. Log into your Amazon Music account on your Amazon desktop app to load your library. Open a Garth Brooks album you want to download, then click the blue "Click to add" button.

Step 4. Then, a pop-up window will appear displaying all available songs, with all being preselected by default. Select the desired songs and click the "Add" option to enter the convert interface. Now, you can either add more songs from other albums for batch conversion, or directly click the "Convert" button to begin the conversion process.

Step 5. After conversion, you can view the converted files in the "Converted" module. You can also find these local files in your local folder. You can import them into your favorite media player for playback. These songs are permanently saved to your computer, so you can enjoy them anytime without the Amazon Music app. Now follow the steps below to upload your local albums to Spotify library.

Upload Local Songs to Spotify

Step 1. Click your Spotify profile picture at the top, and select Settings.

Step 2. Scroll to Library and switch Show Local Files on.

Step 3. Under Show songs from, turn on the folders you want Local Files to have access to. Or, click Add a source to select another folder.

Step 4. Go to Your Library. Your downloaded Garth Brooks album is now in Local Files.

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Summary

Garth Brooks has made a deliberate choice to keep his music off Spotify, emphasizing his desire for artistic control and direct engagement with his fans. By opting for exclusive deals and unique distribution methods, Brooks challenges the conventional streaming model. He prioritizes fair compensation for artists and creates a more personalized experience for his audience. This decision echoes larger industry conversations about artist autonomy, evolving digital platforms, and the balance between accessibility and creative rights.

But there's a way to enjoy Garth Brooks' music on Spotify. Use TunePat Music One to download your favorite tracks locally and then add them to your Spotify library. This allows you to enjoy Garth Brooks' songs on Spotify whenever you want, no matter where you are.

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