“Random Access Memories” may be the first in the line of many upcoming releases to exclusively stream on iTunes before being sold to the public.
While we don’t have any terms of the deal, we have to imagine that Columbia Records negotiated a deal with iTunes before deciding to release through that platform. If you know of any sources with these terms, please leave them in the comments below.
The choice to stream on iTunes but not Spotify is interesting for a few reasons:
- Spotify has shown that streaming does not cannibalize digital sales (DMN)
- Streaming on iTunes does not count towards RIAA Gold / Platinum (WRR)
- iTunes has never been a place to stream music for consumers
While I doubt that R.A.M. will need any streaming help to reach Platinum or Gold status, it’s important to talk about consumer behavior related to iTunes.
As frequent music listeners we usually stick to a select few websites or applications to stream and discover music. iTunes has never been a place to stream music so making it available there doesn’t make sense. By making the stream exclusive on iTunes, you’re asking consumers to change from their regular behavior and create an entirely new routine.
I would imagine that this may have a negative impact on sales. Instead of going to Spotify, people interested in streaming are probably going to go online where multiple leaks are available, not to mention that the full album download can be found on The Pirate Bay.
Why I admire Spotify: Through aggressive marketing and their partnership with Facebook, Spotify has been able to insert itself in our lives as the de-facto place to stream music. It’s a familiar behavior for many and even though the service is relatively new in the U.S., its users are fiercely loyal. Not many companies are able to do this or create such disruption in established industries.
Question –
Did you stream the album on iTunes or did you listen another way?
Share On
