"The March 4 Facebook post from Ex Cops blastin McDonald's for not allocating a budget to pay artists invited to play its planned Music showcase at South By Southwest proved to be a lightning rod for media chatter about the latest pain point in the ever-growing trade-offs between artists and brands. But after several days of working closely with the executive team at South By Southwest and speaking directly with the invited artists themselves, McDonald's today tells Billboard in a statement it has changed its approach. "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," the company says, through a spokesperson. "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."" - Jessie