Jay-Z’s solo albums will no lo longer be available on Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Music and Spotify streaming services. The removal of the services came as a request of the artist. Though unconfirmed, the removal has also been associated with Jay Z’s ownership of Tidal, the high-resolution audio streaming service that is yet to get a stronghold on the market.
However, all is not lost even with the absence of Jay Z’s 12 studio albums as this only affects those within the US. Those outside the US territory can still find the star’s creative works courtesy of the intricacies international licensing laws. Google Play Music and Deezer, which are smaller music services, are also custodians of the rapper’s catalog.
Jay-Z’s Fans Switch To Tidal?
The streaming music services industry is overwhelmed with competition. There are speculations that Jay-Z a.k.a. Shawn Carter could be trying to woo his fans into Tidal, which is now in competition with Apple, Spotify, and Amazon. However, Tidal has not commented on the speculations, hence, strategies of building an appeal for its subscriber’s remains unclear.
Apparently, the acquiring of the streaming service in 2014 was meant to give Jay-Z’s peers a bigger share of the profits. The rapper has previously criticized online music services for poor compensation of artists. This comes at a time when the music industry sales are said to be growing thanks to the increasing number of paying subscribers.
Tidal A Solid Investment
Apparently, some of Jay-Z’s albums that have been removed from the two services are over a decade old. In reference to the time Tidal was acquired, the question, which begs an answer is, why has it taken so long for the rapper to take the drastic move?
That aside, the streaming service may still be far from having firm market grip but its focus on exclusives is notable. Its investment is also worth noting given that there are those who have already shown the interest in having a stake in it.
In the meantime, Apple’s stock closed at $143.34 a fall of $0.32 or 0.22%.