Last time whenever a new record came out, you could pretty much assume that you would be able to get it from any record store. However these days with competing music platforms, exclusives are the new way of releasing albums. In fact hip-hop mogul Jay-Z’s recently released album “4:44” is an exclusive to Tidal.
Given that Jay-Z owns Tidal, it makes sense that he would give his music streaming platform the advantage. However it also seems that at the end of the day, Jay-Z is still a businessman at heart because in a report from Billboard, they have heard from their sources that 4:44 will not be a permanent exclusive to Tidal, and that it will eventually be released on other platforms, such as Apple Music and iTunes.
No word on whether or not these claims are true, but we wouldn’t be surprised if they were. Kanye West had previously launched an album that was exclusive to Tidal too, and despite his outspokenness against Apple Music, the album was eventually launched on Apple Music and Spotify as well.
Some have pointed out Jay-Z’s lyrics in a track called “Smile” in which he seemingly takes a jab at Apple Music and the service’s head Jimmy Iovine, but like we said he’s still a businessman and wider availability means more money at the end of the day. The release is expected to take place this week, so check back with us during the week for confirmation.
Filed in . Read more about Apple Music, Entertainment, Music and Tidal.