The burger chain is a major sponsor of this year's SXSW festival in Austin. (Reuters)
After upsetting millennials and music fans across the social media stratosphere, McDonald’s has announced that it will now pay performers that appear at its South By Southwest McCafe showcase in Austin.
On Monday, Brooklyn-based indie band ExCops blasted the fast food chain for asking them to perform for free at SXSW— despite the fact that other, smaller brands had offered them money for their time.
The chain initially defended their action, claiming they were following “standard protocol” for the festival and that the “additional exposure” for the group would be a boon to their career.
Now the chain claims they had “misunderstood” festival standards and released a statement explaining that all 20 bands appearing at the McCafe showcase will receive some monetary compensation—those details still remain under wraps.
“SXSW started as a conference and festival for the music industry, related press and up-and-coming musicians bringing the community together to showcase their talents,” a McDonald’s spokesperson clarified to Billboard.
“We are excited to expand our support of music at our SXSW activation where the lineup features a great assortment of more than 20 bands, honoring the spirit of the festival. To further support these artists, all bands performing at our showcase will be compensated.”
The ExCops released a statement on their Facebook page saying they were “thrilled” their letter “made a difference.” The band was never officially slated to performed at the showcase later this month and it was later confirmed that despite their support for the move, they will not be playing for McDonald's.
McDonald's has yet to announce the McCafe's official lineup during the festival, which runs from March 13-22.
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