Remember all that speculation about Apple striking exclusive deals with artists like Taylor Swift? In that artist’s case, it turned out to be misplaced. Apple’s new streaming service WILL have Swift’s back catalogue, but it won’t have her last album ‘1989’. That’s according to BuzzFeed, which got confirmation from both Apple and Big Machine Records.
This, in itself, isn’t news: it’s just a continuation of Swift’s clear strategy when it comes to streaming on-demand: ‘1989’ isn’t on any service; her back catalogue is restricted to paid subscription tiers; and any service that won’t window between free and paid (hello, Spotify here) doesn’t get anything. That strategy looks set for now: Big Machine told BuzzFeed that there are no plans to release ‘1989’ for streaming in the near future. Millions of sales suggest nobody – not even Apple and its reportedly-bulging wallet for exclusives – has come up with a convincing reason for Swift to change that strategy yet.
Tools: platforms to help you reach new audiences
Tools: Kaiber
In the year or so since its launch, AI startup Kaiber has been making waves,…