Music News: TIDAL blames Universal for Rihanna ANTi release leak blunder

popmusic

Quote:

It’s not a conventional tactic, but then the buck has to stop at someone for the ‘system error’ that lead to one of the most anticipated albums of the year, Rihanna’s ANTI, leaking on TIDAL hours before it was supposed to arrive online.

The backstory: The Barbadian R&B superstar issued her much-anticipated eight studio album, ANTI, last Thursday (January 28) via Roc Nation and her own label, Westbury Road Entertainment.

In terms of streaming services, it arrived first exclusively on TIDAL, in which Rihanna is believed to own a 3% stake.

“[IT WAS] A SYSTEM ERROR CAUSED BY UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP. THE ERROR WAS NOTHING TIDAL CAUSED.” - TIDAL SPOKESPERSON

However, not everything ran smooth: for whatever reason, ANTI appeared briefly on TIDAL before its official release, and was then taken down.

That was enough for one opportunistic user to rip the album and make it available illegally online, with some now suggesting the release of the record through Samsung was rushed.

TIDAL initially suggested the early release of ANTI on its service was down to a ‘system error’.

The firm’s Marketing Director Grace Kim told SPIN. “Look, we know what happened here, in the sense that unfortunately we still rely on systems, and there was a system error. But I don’t think it hurt it at all.”

However, subsequent to SPIN’s article, a TIDAL spokesperson got in touch with the publication to further clarify Kim’s comments.

They said that the executive was “referring to a system error caused by Universal Music Group” adding that “the error was not something TIDAL caused”.

Universal is the official distributor of ANTI through its partnership with Roc Nation.

So we have a situation where one Jay Z-owned company is blaming the biggest record company in the world for a blunder regarding a key artist for another Jay Z company… which just so happens to be an exclusive partner of Universal.

http://www.musicbusinessworldwide.co...lease-blunder/

Jeiboy

Mau

THE EXPOSÉ

Cherish

Don't they have to send it to your guys over at headquarters though then have an employee upload it?

jomarr

poor ANTidal

cloudinthesky

Mess

moonlight.

oh god

KUNTPERFECTA

Drayb

That makes me admire Rih even more. She didn't have a breakdown but turned this into a win. Seriously, she needs to let Tidal sink.

Last Boy on Earth

They didn't make the minimal effort to take down any of the illegal links that were being spread around all over the web when it leaked and the fact that they are all still up says it all, Tidal is a disgrace, this would never happen with any other popstar

Lose My Breath

It really didn't matter anyway, they gave it out for free thankfully

Quote:

Originally posted by Last Boy on Earth

They didn't make the minimal effort to take down any of the illegal links that were being spread around all over the web when it leaked and the fact that they are all still up says it all, Tidal is a disgrace, this would never happen with any other popstar

How pointless when it literally came an hour later for free? Why waste the resources

THEORACLE

Quote:

Originally posted by Last Boy on Earth

They didn't make the minimal effort to take down any of the illegal links that were being spread around all over the web when it leaked and the fact that they are all still up says it all, Tidal is a disgrace, this would never happen with any other popstar

It takes time and resources to get stuff taken down, which would have been an utter waste considering the quality wasn't brilliant the fact the album was going to out for FREE in a matter of hours from that point anyway.

Superbitch

Mess
Everything abut this era has been a mess.

OnikaChrist

This is such a mess, I can't

At least Rih served us a masterpiece. Anti is a great album.

Shaliydah88

Quote:

Originally posted by Drayb

That makes me admire Rih even more. She didn't have a breakdown but turned this into a win. Seriously, she needs to let Tidal sink.

!!!!!!

Adonis

The music industry is a mess when it comes to technology so I'm not surprised.