Tidal Music Streaming Service Soars After Kanye West Exclusive

Advertisement
By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 19 February 2016 14:48 IST
Rapper Kanye West has raised eyebrows by complaining of his personal debt but his business sense has paid dividends for one key partner the Tidal streaming service.

The company, which struggled after a flashy relaunch last year led by rap mogul Jay Z, has witnessed a surge of interest since West on Sunday released his latest album, "The Life of Pablo," exclusively on Tidal.

On the first day Tidal soared 20 places to become the most downloaded music app in the United States, according to App Annie, which tracks the data.

It remained in top place in the music category on Thursday and was number five among all apps, topping Facebook.

Advertisement

Tidal in which West, Madonna and other stars are partners said in September that it had reached one million subscribers, a fraction of the base of rivals, and has not given further updates.

Advertisement

Tidal has sought to challenge the dominance of Spotify in the fast-growing sector by offering higher-end audio, video content and exclusives from artists.

But at $19.99 a month, it is twice as expensive as Spotify which also offers a free tier and fellow upstart Apple Music.

Advertisement

Tidal earlier also benefitted from streaming exclusives for Beyonce's politically charged new video "Formation" and Rihanna's long-awaited album, although Rihanna has since put her "Anti" on other platforms.

West has insisted that "The Life of Pablo," his seventh album, will be available only on Tidal and never available for purchase on Apple's iTunes, let alone streamed on other services.

Advertisement

Explaining his motivations when he released the album, West revealed that he was $53 million in debt.

"Yes I am personally rich and I can buy furs and houses for my family," said West, the husband of reality television star Kim Kardashian, who is wealthy in her own right.

"But I need access to more money in order to bring more beautiful ideas to the world," he tweeted.

The plea for money triggered widespread online derision of West, who has likened his diverse talents to Michelangelo's and in the past year has both pursued fashion design and declared his intention to run for president in 2020.

The Philadelphia Police Department on Thursday told West that it was hiring and posted on Twitter a doctored photo of the rapper dressed as an officer.

"Starting salary of $47,920; u could be debt-free by the year 3122!" it tweeted.

 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Motorola Edge 70 Launched With Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 SoC, Slim 5.99mm Profile
  2. Moto G67 Power 5G Launched in India With 7,000mAh Battery: See Price
  3. Apple's Low-Cost MacBook Launch Timeline, Price Leaked Ahead of Debut
  4. Lava Agni 4 Price Range, Features Leaked; Will Launch in These Colourways
  5. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Spotted in Leaked Renders With Rounder Corners
  6. WhatsApp's Apple Watch App Is Finally Out: Check Features, Compatibility
  7. Moto G Play (2026), Moto G (2026) With Dimensity 6300 SoC Launched
  8. OnePlus Ace 6 Pro Max Configurations Leaked; May Feature Up to 16GB of RAM
  9. Moto G67 Power 5G Launch Today: Everything You Need to Know
  10. Maxton Hall Season 2 OTT Release: Everything You Need to Know About Streaming, Plot, Cast,
  1. Steam Deck Gets a Display-Off Low-Power Mode for Downloads Three Years After Launch
  2. Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Leak Hints at Two Variants Including 'Pro' Model
  3. Realme Will Try to Absorb Increased Cost of Components Ahead of Upcoming Product Launches, Executive Says
  4. Motorola Edge 70 Launched With Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 Chipset, Slim 5.99mm Profile: Price, Specifications
  5. Researchers Unveil How Atomic Entanglement Enhances Light Bursts
  6. Lava Agni 4 Confirmed to Launch in Two Colourways; Tipster Leaks Price Range, Key Features
  7. Google Proposes Play Store Reforms in Settlement With Fortnite Maker Epic Games
  8. Scientists Recreate Cosmic ‘Fireballs’ in Lab to Solve Mystery of Missing Gamma Rays
  9. Realme UI 7.0 Launched With Light Glass Design, AI Notify Brief and AI Gaming Coach: See Eligible Phones, Beta Release Schedule
  10. iOS 26.2 Beta 1 Rolled Out to Developers With Enhanced Safety Alerts, Reminder Alarms
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.