Music Exec Tells Us Jay Z Should Expect Dr. Dre To Compete W/ TIDAL: “Jimmy Iovine & Dr. Dre Are Geniuses”

[With the unexpected launch of Jay Z’s TIDAL music streaming service, Penalty Entertainment head Neil Levine gives SOHH his take and why Apple’s Beats Music might give Jigga some competition.]

I think it’s too early to tell. I applaud Jay Z for doing this but I think it’s still too early to see [its longterm results]. I think the price point at $20, I think, which is supposed to move the consumer, I don’t know yet. Listen, we’re in the Wild West, I applaud him and I hope it’s successful.

I hope it’s successful for the artists that are in the business and I hope it’s successful for us, the labels that are spending money and trying to make great music and trying to develop great music.

It’s a very different time than I can remember. Even when we went from CD to digital downloads, it still kind of made sense. It was still ownership.

I grew up with records, so in college it was about the artwork, the linear notes, so I’ve always been a record freak. I think the CDs kind of changed that when it went to a booklet and the artwork was reduced and it was less of a collector’s item but you still wanted to own it.

Then it was downloads and for us that was a great plan because we were selling files and putting it onto devices.

Now, you can listen to whatever you want to whenever you want to. As a music fan, I love music so I can check out whatever I want to check out.

I’m curious to see what [Apple’s] Beats Music is going to do with that launch. I think Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre are geniuses and I’m sure that’s going to be an exciting new streaming site and I think the price point is $10 for that. It’s hard to compete against Apple.

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