The talk of the music business right now is streaming exclusives – not least because Universal boss Lucian Grainge has outlawed single-service deals with Apple and TIDAL amongst his labels.
MBW has been informed, however, that you haven’t seen the last of exclusives from UMG just yet.
That’s because of a hangover from previous commitments with both Apple and TIDAL for a few records, which will be released in the coming weeks.
Universal won’t comment on which tracks/albums may be windowed on a single service, but its current release schedule provides a few clues.
One big new release is the video for Kanye West’s new single Fade (pictured), which has this week been unveiled ‘exclusively’ on TIDAL.
As MBW explained last week, at least a portion of the track is owned/controlled by West’s G.O.O.D Music label, meaning this may not have been UMG’s decision anyway.
In addition, Ariana Grande’s new single, Side To Side, has already featured as one kind of ‘exclusive’; its official video premiered for 24 hours on the Guess.com website on Sunday.
What else could come down the pipe onto Apple Music?
In Vivendi’s fiscal results last week, the UMG parent named new albums from Emeli Sande, Sting, DNCE, Bon Jovi, Norah Jones and Bastille as priorities.
We shall see if any of those are trapped on a single service as part of a previously agreed deal.
By the time October is here, though, expect UMG-affiliiated exclusives to cease.
Meanwhile, a UMG insider tells MBW that Lucian Grainge and his team have been “overwhelmed” by the reaction to the company’s exclusives ban.
We’re told Universal has received “a flood of emails” in support of the stance “even from managers whose acts are [signed to] other majors”.
Meanwhile, Spotify bares its teeth.
MBW analysis from yesterday revealed the paucity of playlist support the company has offered Katy Perry’s comeback single Rise, a windowed Apple Music exclusive, since its release in mid-July.
The track badly needed that support in the UK – where it only managed to hit No.25 in the chart – and beyond.Music Business Worldwide
