Jay Z Relaunches TIDAL: True Artist Avengers or Just A Millionaire Musicians Club?
Yesterday Jay Z relaunched TIDAL as the first artist owned streaming music service. But the question everyone is asking today is: Will TIDAL become the first bona fide threat to Spotify's ascension or did we just witness some particularly well orchestrated hype?
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On paper, TIDAL looks impressive. Who wouldn't want their music service controlled by musicians rather than self-serving record labels and profit-driven venture capitalists?
And think of all of the exclusive content. TIDAL co-owners Kanye West, Madonna, Nicki Minaj. Beyonce, Jack White, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Usher, Daft Punk, deadmau5, J Cole, Jason Aldean, Calvin Harris and Jay Z all delivering music and videos that fans can't find anywhere else!
While yesterday's launch event was long on star power, it was short on details. But what we have learned – from yesterday's launch, media interviews, off the record from industry insiders and after looking around the relaunched service – is that so far at least, TIDAL has some work to do before its lives up to yesterdays 'artist's revolution' hype.
Mission: To Reestablish The Value Of Music
TIDAL's "mission to reestablish the value of music and protect the sustainability of the music industry rooted in creativity and expression," according to the "Declaration" signed yesterday by the 16 stars dubbed "The Avengers of Music." Thus far, however, the music industry re-write appears to only be for the superstars who took the stage alongside Jay Z.
Each artist-partner has reportedly received a 3% stake in the new music service. How or even if TIDAL might be better than Spotify and other competitors for the tens of thousands of other working musicians who increasingly rely on streaming income, remains unanswered.
The appearance that TIDAL will further line the pockets of already rich superstars led to backlash across the web overnight. "That whole #TIDALforALL gathering looked like an announcement for a terrible charity record, with themselves as the charity," tweeted one doubter
Exclusives? What Exclusives?
As for all of the implied exclusive content, I could find very little when looking around TIDAL late yesterday and today. And how much control these artists, most of whom are tied to a variety of restrictive recording and other contracts, have over how and where their content can be released is a question for the lawyers.
Also, don't think for a minute that Apple's Beats and other music services are not angling for their own exclusives. Apple's Jimmy Iovine has already been talking to artists – among TIDAL's launch partners and beyond – about exclusives using Apple's broad reach and deep pockets as weapons.
How TIDAL Can Help The 99%
Higher payments to all artists would be number on on the list, but given the nature of label contracts seems unlikely. But there are other options:
- Follow Pandora and YouTube's lead and offer free analytics
- Go farther than Spotify has gone and integrate outside direct to fan services like BandsInTown, BandPage, Bandcamp, Merchbar, PledgeMusic, Patreon, ReverbNation, Songkick and more
- Allow some form of opt-in direct messaging from artist to fans
- Get serious about artist development – not just with the artists that TIDAL partners have signed to their vanity labels, but with artists of all genres chosen by curators and by fans
- Be a source of funding for new music and ambitious collaborations
Tell us what you think about the new TIDAL below and be sure to vote here - #TIDALForALL or #TIDALforNOONE
Funny I saw lots of exclusive content….
I still don’t think there is much of a promising future for Beats either, but, I feel that they WILL actually offer exclusive content. They will not speak on offering something and then produce content that leaves anyone in doubt as to its “exclusivity.”
Hi. I have to give Madonna credit for selecting a well adjusted man to collaborate with.
Reading through some of the lyrics Rap and Hip-Hop performers Kayne has written for and produced, it is plain to see Madonna was lucky to find a man who embraces anger, hostility and writes lyrics about depressed, lawless men and teens sharing violence, as well as physically and emotionally harming peaceful innocent people in American communities….decent poor and working people already struggling economically, and thanks to the violence Kanye and his associates write about, innocent people struggling even harder just to not be killed by a “4-4” walking to work.
Reading the lyrics some or many of Kanye’s friends and business associates write or produce, it is plain to see Madonna must be so proud she is collaborating with a man whose buddy’s pretty much characterize females as witches and bhores.
Madonna must be grateful she hooked up with a man who assists music performers in spreading words of hate and disrespect in their Raps and Hip-Hop sounds while ignoring their alleged pain and trying to heal them.
Why try to heal these men and teens when instead they can be exploited for profit and fame!
Read the lyrics to this early Kanye West co-written and produced performance, Beanie Sigel – The Truth.
Has reading the lyrics given you pause to question Madonna’s good judgment…or made you just want to love her for eternity?
#protect-kids-from-irresponsible-caregivers
I’m an artist. Tidal paid me 2 cents as opposed to Apple and Google paying me $0.00.