Hip-hop artist Drake has some bad news for streaming-music service Spotify.
He plans to make his upcoming album, Views From the 6, available exclusively on Apple Music later this month, according to a tweet he posted on Sunday. However, he quickly deleted the message, according to Business Insider, which initially reported about the deal.
Drake’s decision to offer exclusive access to his album only on Apple Music is just the latest in a series by artists to limit availability of their albums to favored streaming services. Earlier this year, fellow hip-hop artist Kanye West made waves when he made his latest album, The Life of Pablo, exclusively available on Tidal, a music-streaming service he owns in part with friend and fellow musician Jay-Z. But last week, West reversed course after less than a month and made the album accessible on other streaming services including Apple Music.
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Meanwhile, other artists, including Adele and Taylor Swift, have snubbed Spotify over concerns that offering their albums on the streaming service would hurt the music industry by eating into an artist’s royalties. Unlike Apple Music, which is fully pay-to-play, Spotify offers a free, ad-supported streaming service that has come under fire from artists who say they earn too little for their music.
It’s unknown why Drake decided to follow West’s plan and only make his new album available on Apple Music. But it could have something to do with his cozy relationship with Apple (AAPL).
Last year, Drake was said to have signed a $19 million deal with Apple to help the company promote Apple Music. He did just that at last year’s Worldwide Developers Conference by taking the stage and helping Apple promote Apple Music.
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Apple, in turn, has promoted Drake. In a recent Apple Music ad, for instance, Taylor Swift is shown selecting Drake’s “Jumpman” track while she works out on a treadmill. Just days later, the track’s iTunes sales rose 431%. Drake was not in the commercial.
How long Drake will favor Apple is unclear. While West said earlier this year that his album would “never, never, never” partner with Apple Music, he eventually changed his mind.
Drake’s representatives did not respond to a request for comment.
