As the streaming industry continues to overtake and out-perform traditional, physical music sales, there has come the rise and fall of ‘streaming exclusives’. These are albums that are released exclusively on one of the many streaming platforms out today. Beyonce’s "Lemonade" on Tidal, Drake’s "Views" and Chance the Rapper’s "Coloring Book" both on Apple Music, and Spotify’s on-going collection of ‘Spotify Singles’ from various artists. And now we have JAY-Z’s "4:44," his latest album being an exclusive to both Tidal subscribers… and Sprint cellphone customers?
As a fan of music - of the emotions and feelings that something as simple as a song can convey - I am sick and tired of these exclusive album deals. They aren’t doing the music industry any good. Music is an art form and should be available to everyone willing to listen.
In a day and age where physical album sales are at an all-time low, streaming platforms seem to be the primary source of both income and outreach for both aspiring and established musicians. Even Taylor Swift has redacted her anti-Spotify mindset by re-releasing her entire discography to the popular service. (Granted, it might have been due to her supposed Katy Perry feud, but nonetheless). Both Drake and Chance eventually released their latest music to all platforms in order to reach as wide an audience as possible. But why are artists still rolling out exclusive streaming rights to their music?
On one hand, I understand the artist’s perspective. Most streaming services offer minuscule compensation for their work, so if a heavy hitting contract is presented to you to secure your new album exclusively for Apple Music members, an argument can be made. But in an industry that is hanging on by a thread, shouldn’t these potentially harmful deals be thrown away for the sake of the main proprietors of the industry themselves: The fans? Now I am not a huge JAY-Z fan, nor am I a Tidal member - Both because I already use Spotify, and because Tidal’s prices are ridiculous. But in an industry desperately looking for ways to pull fans in, isn’t the idea of streaming exclusives pushing people away and toward piracy?
If I was a huge HOVA fan but didn’t want to spend $20 a month for Tidal’s overrated service, I would look for alternative ways of getting the album. The same goes for Drake, Chance, and anyone else who thinks their album is too good for every streaming service to have at once. To be honest, I still haven’t listened to any of "Lemonade" because I don’t have nor will I sign up for Tidal, even though I highly respect Beyonce as an artist and musician. In today’s society, if your average listener wants to have an album badly enough, they will do whatever they can to listen. Even if that means downloading it illegally. Now I am not condoning music piracy in any way. Rather I am saying that it is still around today, even if it's not as prevalent as it was just five years ago. The age old saying, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”, still plays loudly.
Now I may just be one small voice in an ocean of opinions, but at the end of the day I am a music fan. Without fans, who will artists turn to? How will record labels sell a single album? And I am not conceited enough to think that my protest alone will in any way impact the likes of Capitol Records, Apple, or even JAY-Z. But I think it is important to express my dissatisfaction with this industry and these artists. I am all for competition in the streaming industry - that’s normal and healthy, and can benefit the fans in the long run. But withholding your work from entire platforms not only alienates and excludes fans, but encourages them to either disregard your music as a whole, or simply listen to the album through alternative methods, undercutting the original intention of these exclusives entirely.
