Jay-Z has leaped to the defense of his music streaming service TIDAL, after it was revealed that the platform’s app had swiftly fallen out of the App Store’s top 700 most downloaded list.
Taking to Twitter, the rapper started up the trending topic #TidalFacts in which he attempted to explain the purpose of the app in greater detail. In a series of tweets, which the music mogul branded a “stream of consciousness,” he wrote:
“Tidal is doing just fine. We have over 770,000 subs. We have been in business less than one month.
#TidalFacts”“The iTunes Store wasn’t built in a day. It took Spotify 9 years to be successful…”
“We are here for the long haul. Please give us a chance to grow & get better.
#TidalFacts”“There are many big companies that are spending millions on a smear campaign. We are not anti-anyone, we are pro-artist & fan. #TidalFacts”
“We made Tidal for fans. We have more than just music. We have video, exclusive concerts, tickets for events early, live sports!…”
“….Tidal is where artists can give their fans more without the middlemen. #TidalFacts”
Then, discussing the controversial subject of the service being announced by a bunch of multi-millionaires instead of the independent music artists it claims to support, Jay-Z continued:
“Indie artists who want to work directly w/ us keep 100% of their music. “If you don’t want the CEOs all in the videos” haa #tidalfacts”
“Tidal pays 75% royalty rate to ALL artists, writers and producers – not just the founding members on stage.”
“Rich getting richer? Equity values… YouTube $390 billion. Apple $760 billion. Spotify $8 billion. Tidal $60 million. #TidalFacts”
Jay-Z then concluded that the creators of TIDAL “aren’t perfect” but that they’re determined, before revealing that Jack White would be performing exclusively for the service later on that evening.
Though it’s difficult to imagine TIDAL managing to propel itself beyond the likes of Spotify, it would have been wise for Jay-Z to have advertised the service as something that would further the struggling musicians rather than the super-rich such as Kanye West and Madonna. Him stating that TIDAL reaching 770,000 subscribers after being in business for just one month is also a little misleading, as the service received over 500,000 subscribers prior to the service being unveiled, meaning the number of new subscribers since the platform went live is considerably lower.
Also See: TIDAL Plummets Out of Top 700 Apps in iTunes Store Because No One Cares About Giving Jay-Z More Money
Still, he’s right in saying that TIDAL could perform a miraculous 180-degree turn and stand to thwart the likes of Spotify and Pandora in the future. It seems incredibly unlikely, of course, but stranger things have certainly happened.
Photo: Getty Images
