Most Jay Z albums now back on Apple Music, still withheld from Spotify

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in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV
Following their sudden removal from Apple Music and Spotify last Friday, most of Jay Z's albums are now back on Apple's service, but still missing from Spotify -- for reasons unknown.




The only major releases absent from Apple Music as of Monday are the rapper's debut record, "Reasonable Doubt," and the three "Blueprint" albums. That's comparable to what's available on Google's streaming service, Play Music.

The Spotify collection remains small, the only albums being "The Best of Both Worlds" and "Unfinished Business," both collaborations with R&B star R. Kelly. Other tracks are generally singles, remixes, or part of the "Collision Course" mash-up with Linkin Park.

It's not uncommon for catalogs to change on streaming services, especially for artists popular enough to exert control or be used as bargaining chips. Apple, for instance, regularly pays to make some albums temporary exclusives -- Chance the Rapper was allegedly paid $500,000 to keep "Coloring Book" an Apple exclusive for two weeks. Tidal, of which Jay Z is a co-owner, will also sometimes hosts exclusives.

Jay Z is one of the most famous rappers in the world, and potentially a serious loss for Spotify if his discography isn't restored quickly.

One possible explanation for Friday's takedown may involve Spotify's recent deal with Universal. Jay Z's Roc-A-Fella label is attached to Universal, and the new arrangement specifies that Spotify must keep some albums as exclusives to paid listeners -- and meet basic subscriber targets -- in order to qualify for lower royalty payments.

Jay Z's catalog could conceivably have been pulled from both Apple Music and Spotify as part of broader industry negotiations, and returned to Apple once Universal and/or Jay Z secured favorable terms.
jSnively

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 18
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member
    Jay Z making big moves here. Watch out. 

     :D 
    edited April 2017 lamboaudi4anton zuykov
  • Reply 2 of 18
    jbdragonjbdragon Posts: 2,301member
    Hey Apple, don't pay this person extra money just to have that crap music on your service!!! It's no great loss.
    anton zuykovmassconn72watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 18
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Who could've predicted that¡
    anton zuykov
  • Reply 4 of 18
    didn't even realize he pulled them out.
  • Reply 5 of 18
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    Oh it looks like Jay-Z is playing hard ball with Apple, he decided to take his sand toys home to his own sandbox, however, when he got there he realize he already peed in his sandbox and no one want play with his toys in his smelly sand.
    anton zuykovwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 18
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,052member
    word
  • Reply 7 of 18
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    LOL. Didn't care when they were gone, don't care now that they're back. 

    Apple could've let him cool his jets for a couple of months before letting him back. Bet he'd be in a real panic then. Can't keep Beyoncé happy without those millions.
    edited April 2017 anton zuykovstevenozwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 18
    LOL
  • Reply 9 of 18
    Damn.  Someone forgot to block the door.  Was nice while he was gone.
    anton zuykovGeorgeBMacwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 18
    "Unknown reasons" ? How about massive publicity?
  • Reply 11 of 18
    JinTechJinTech Posts: 1,019member
    And in another post I gave him till the end of the year to be back on Apple Music and Spotify. Well it hasn't even been a week and he's already back at Apple Music...I give him another few months for Spotify.
    edited April 2017 watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 18
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    Ahhh,  that's too bad...
  • Reply 13 of 18
    All publicity...or do you think Apple actually gave him something in exchange for not putting back on Spotify?
  • Reply 14 of 18
    Who?
  • Reply 15 of 18
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    All publicity...or do you think Apple actually gave him something in exchange for not putting back on Spotify?
    Apple doesn't need to do anything to keep artists off of Spotify. There are many big artists that own their own content that aren't on Spotify because of their ridiculously low payouts per song plays. Did you not see the AI articles when Taylor Swift pulled her content from Spotify in solidarity with other artists? The threads were pretty awful to her… but since she was white she didn't get it as bad as Jay-Z in the previous thread. Even Beyoncé was attacked for being rich while black and female, and she didn't pull any of her content.
  • Reply 16 of 18
    didn't even realize he pulled them out.
    I bet Beyonce didn't either last night.
  • Reply 17 of 18
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Who?
    I think they said his name is "Z-jay".
  • Reply 18 of 18
    evilutionevilution Posts: 1,399member
    3 days! lol. The dip in daily profits obviously loosened his ring piece more than he was expecting.
    JinTechwatto_cobra
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