Swift strikes sweet deal with Apple
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How sweet it is … Taylor Swift has struck a deal with Apple to stream her album 1989 exclusively. Picture: AFP
Source: AFP
POP superstar Taylor Swift has announced she will stream her latest album exclusively on Apple, capping a 180-degree shift after she threatened a boycott.
On the weekend, Swift issued an open protest to Apple over compensation to artists on its upcoming streaming service, leading the tech giant to reverse course and step up payments.
In response, the 25-year-old singer, who had initially threatened a boycott, said overnight that she would stream her blockbuster album 1989 on Apple Music exclusively.
“This is simply the first time it’s felt right in my gut to stream my album. Thank you, Apple, for your change of heart,” Swift wrote on Twitter.
The big loser in Swift’s reconciliation with Apple stands to be Spotify, the leader in the booming sector of streaming which offers unlimited, on-demand music.
Swift last year pulled her entire catalogue from Spotify, angry at the Swedish company’s free tier supported by advertising.
Taylor Swift, Jay Z and Kanye West and Kim Kardashian at the Grammy’s. Picture: Getty
Source: Supplied
The pop star streams most of her work on rival platforms such as Google Play and rap mogul Jay-Z’s Tidal, but until now not 1989, which has been by far the best-selling US album of the past year.
Swift insisted that she had not entered any special deal with Apple — which holds power in the music industry by running iTunes.
“In case you’re wondering if this is some exclusive deal like you’ve seen Apple do with other artists, it’s not,” she tweeted.
Swift had initially lashed out at Apple for not paying royalties to artists for streams during customers’ three-month trial periods.
A senior Apple executive within hours called Swift, who was in Amsterdam on a tour, and said the company would compensate for songs at all stages of streaming.
