For the last two years, Prince’s legendary catalog has been streaming exclusively on TIDAL. That’ll soon change, however, as Warner Bros. has struck a deal to bring his music to Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, and other prominent streaming platforms.
According to the New York Post, a release date is set for February 12th to coincide with the Grammy Awards. “The switch gets turned on for everybody during the Grammys,” a source told the Post, which adds that the deal covers Prince’s Warner Bros. releases. Music outside of his Warner contract, including unreleased albums are still being negotiated, the Post adds.
While a formal announcement is still forthcoming, Spotify hinted at the news on Monday with cryptic, purple subway and billboard ads in cities like New York and London.
For years, Prince had reservations about the benefits of streaming platforms. “What I meant was that the internet was over for anyone who wants to get paid, and I was right about that,” he told The Guardian, clarifying a comment he’d made about online media back in 2010. “Tell me a musician who’s got rich off digital sales.” Nevertheless, in 2014 he agreed to a new licensing deal with Warner Bros., which culminated in his music streaming on TIDAL in 2015. Following his tragic death in April 2016, Prince’s estate sued TIDAL seeking to end the platform’s exclusivity.
Along with his music arriving across all streaming platforms, 2017 also promises to give fans a new Prince documentary, a four-day Prince festival at Paisley Park, and yes — even delicious scrambled eggs courtesy of The High Priest of Pop himself.
