Cyrus Langhorne
Music streaming service Tidal’s senior executive Vania Schlogel has come forward to speak out on the attention Jay Z sparked with a rant-filled Twitter spree he performed last weekend.
Speaking at publication Variety’s Entertainment & Technology Summit Thursday (April 30), Schlogel defended company backer Jay’s decision to use social media to defend Tidal.
“Jay felt like I’m going to speak for myself and set the record straight,” she said, noting that Tidal has been in business for only a month. Moreover, she argued that Tidal’s relatively small subscriber base is a problematic measuring stick. Unlike Pandora or Spotify, which offer both free and subscription services, users must pay to use the app. The service begins at $9.99 per month. “Our business model, our viability as a business, is not driven by the number of app downloads,” said Schlogel. “It’s driven by the number of people who subscribe.” (Variety)
This week, Jay announced he would be performing at an exclusive New York venue for Tidal subscribers.
Jay Z announced an exclusive New York concert for Tidal subscribers that will find the rapper performing tracks he’s never played onstage or songs that haven’t been part of his live arsenal for over a decade. Dubbed “Tidal X: Jay Z B-Sides,” the one-off concert will come to an as-yet-unnamed “intimate New York City” venue on May 13th. (Rolling Stone)
Relying on spoofing Jay’s “TIDALFacts” weekend tweets, a new Twitter account has launched this week and pokes fun at the new service.
Young Hov resorted to his Twitter page Sunday (April 26) to assure Tidal subscribers of the service’s promising future.
Reports last week claimed Jay Z may release a long-awaited joint album with R&B wife Beyoncé exclusively through Tidal.
The long-rumored Beyoncé and Jay Z joint album will reportedly be released exclusively on Tidal, according to DJ Skee. The host of Skee TV revealed last September that the couple was working on an album together. In his latest segment on Skee TV, the DJ reports that sources have told him the album is “nearing completion.” (Huffington Post)
He should have marketed this almost like a charity. A way to redirect money to struggling talented artists. Instead his pomposity and smug arrogance led him to market it as a show of star power. The very opposite of his key selling point. That error was so indicative and definitive of the app that I really can’t see them recovering.