Just two days after Frank Ocean’s Blonde, one of the biggest releases of the year, was released on Apple’s iTunes, Lucian Grainge, CEO of Universal Music Group and widely regarded as the most powerful executive in the music industry, has reportedly ordered the company’s labels to stop the practice of making “exclusive” distribution deals with streaming services.

According to Bob Lefsetz, author of an influential music industry newsletter, Grainge sent out a company-wide email on Monday. UMG, which boasted seven of 2015’s 10 best-selling albums and 38.5% of the year’s recorded-music sales, will be the first major label to ban the practice, which many feel has begun to diminish rather than enhance the way music is distributed and consumed.

The directive will affect dozens of bands under the UMG umbrella, including all five of this year’s album of the year Grammy nominees: Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, the Weeknd, Chris Stapleton and Alabama Shakes.

The practice of artists offering exclusives to competing streaming and download services, including Apple and Tidal, has been gaining traction this year. Both Beyoncé and Rihanna launched their recent albums through Tidal, the streaming service part-owned by Beyoncé’s husband, Jay Z.

The ultra-hyped Frank Ocean release coming exclusively through Apple, coupled with a deal announced earlier this month between Apple and Cash Money Records, whose artists include Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Young Money and Birdman, appears to have been sufficient to provoke label executives to action.

Lefsetz, like many others in the business, believes making exclusive distribution deals is anti-competitive and ultimately harms the consumer and the artist.

I wonder what Lucian Grainge based his decision on. To me, it makes sense to have an "official" EARLY digital release (Tidal, Apple, don't matter) as long as it beats "the leak".

However, I do agree that it is dumb for it to not eventually see a quick release on other formats, if that's what he meant by exclusives. That doesn't seem to do anything but build capital for those websites.

TWIST!!!!

'Blonde' Bombshell: Frank Ocean Album Was Independently Released After Star Left Label,
Singer Now Set For Huge Pay Day

The singer’s name has been a staple in the music sphere this week following the unannounced release of two albums – visual LP ‘Endless’ and sophomore effort ‘Blonde.’

Per projections, the latter is on course to not only open at #1 on the Billboard 200, but double the sales of its predecessor (2012’s ‘Channel Orange’) in the process.

Hits Daily Double report that ‘Blonde’ was actually rolled out as an independent release via Ocean’s Boys Don’t Cry label. Distribution was handled by Fresh Produce.

Intriguingly, ‘Endless’ apparently fulfilled the singer’s contractual obligation to Universal Music (to whom he was signed by way of Def Jam).

The gag (#NoKeKe) is that he’ll now reap an estimated 70% of the revenue from sales and streams, rather than the 20% of 70% (specifically 14%) that he would be entitled to on a major label.

So with sales strong and streams forecast to top 75 million on Apple Music alone, Ocean is swimming to more wins than one!

http://thatgrapejuice.net...eft-label/

I thought the title was blond.

Cinny said:

TWIST!!!!

'Blonde' Bombshell: Frank Ocean Album Was Independently Released After Star Left Label,
Singer Now Set For Huge Pay Day

The singer’s name has been a staple in the music sphere this week following the unannounced release of two albums – visual LP ‘Endless’ and sophomore effort ‘Blonde.’

Per projections, the latter is on course to not only open at #1 on the Billboard 200, but double the sales of its predecessor (2012’s ‘Channel Orange’) in the process.

Hits Daily Double report that ‘Blonde’ was actually rolled out as an independent release via Ocean’s Boys Don’t Cry label. Distribution was handled by Fresh Produce.

Intriguingly, ‘Endless’ apparently fulfilled the singer’s contractual obligation to Universal Music (to whom he was signed by way of Def Jam).

The gag (#NoKeKe) is that he’ll now reap an estimated 70% of the revenue from sales and streams, rather than the 20% of 70% (specifically 14%) that he would be entitled to on a major label.

So with sales strong and streams forecast to top 75 million on Apple Music alone, Ocean is swimming to more wins than one!

http://thatgrapejuice.net...eft-label/

Prince looking like.."now catch that tea.."

getxxxx said:Lefsetz, like many others in the business, believes making exclusive distribution deals is anti-competitive and ultimately harms the consumer and the artist.

wait, he actually cares about the consumer and the artist?

I'm not going to say it's the best album of the year by any means but I liked it quite much. It's not loaded with silly fillers and way too bizzare music shifts like him doing a house/death metal mashup, it's a bit similar to D'Angelo's latest release where it's best experienced with headphones and heard in one session.

MotownSubdivision said:

I'd like to know how this is anti-competitive.

Because it's like ONLY giving your record to Sam Goody and not the other stores.

Cinny said:

MotownSubdivision said:

I'd like to know how this is anti-competitive.

Because it's like ONLY giving your record to Sam Goody and not the other stores.

Eh, I guess I understand that logic.

It is funny that these artists make all these "moves" now and are praised as being genius moves, but really the door was open and it was opened more like broken down, by none other than PRINCE. And i say this not just because he passed, but because it is truth. The only reasons that these became a new way to do things or even thought process was PRINCE. Not that he was first there were many other indie artists out there doing it, but it was the first NAME to do it. And I said then NO ONE was in his corner, not label people and not even his peers, he was avoided like the plague in the 90's kind of like the BEE GEES were avoided by labels after "disco" stigmas.

lastdecember said:

It is funny that these artists make all these "moves" now and are praised as being genius moves, but really the door was open and it was opened more like broken down, by none other than PRINCE. And i say this not just because he passed, but because it is truth. The only reasons that these became a new way to do things or even thought process was PRINCE. Not that he was first there were many other indie artists out there doing it, but it was the first NAME to do it. And I said then NO ONE was in his corner, not label people and not even his peers, he was avoided like the plague in the 90's kind of like the BEE GEES were avoided by labels after "disco" stigmas.

I was watching the History of The Eagles documentary, and it said their Walmart exclusive Long Road Out Of Eden in 2007 was one of the first deals like that. Again, I wanted to bust through the screen.

Cinny said:

lastdecember said:

It is funny that these artists make all these "moves" now and are praised as being genius moves, but really the door was open and it was opened more like broken down, by none other than PRINCE. And i say this not just because he passed, but because it is truth. The only reasons that these became a new way to do things or even thought process was PRINCE. Not that he was first there were many other indie artists out there doing it, but it was the first NAME to do it. And I said then NO ONE was in his corner, not label people and not even his peers, he was avoided like the plague in the 90's kind of like the BEE GEES were avoided by labels after "disco" stigmas.

I was watching the History of The Eagles documentary, and it said their Walmart exclusive Long Road Out Of Eden in 2007 was one of the first deals like that. Again, I wanted to bust through the screen.

And there is a lot of what is misunderstood about PRINCE, yes he was considered Iconic for his work like Purple Rain, 1999 and his looks etc....But he still was at the end of the day a local musician. The Eagles deal and Guns N Roses deal, I think MARIAH had one too with Best Buy, the Dvd i think, and Beyonce had BDAY the collection only at some store for awhile (i'm sure she thought she was breaking ground lol) but the Eagles went in at Number One and sold a lot of that album which PISSED a lot of people at other stores off (though now there really is no record stores) so no one really cares about exclusives now. What PRINCE did do was make this an issue for RB artists to wake up too.

lastdecember said:

Cinny said:

I was watching the History of The Eagles documentary, and it said their Walmart exclusive Long Road Out Of Eden in 2007 was one of the first deals like that. Again, I wanted to bust through the screen.

And there is a lot of what is misunderstood about PRINCE, yes he was considered Iconic for his work like Purple Rain, 1999 and his looks etc....But he still was at the end of the day a local musician. The Eagles deal and Guns N Roses deal, I think MARIAH had one too with Best Buy, the Dvd i think, and Beyonce had BDAY the collection only at some store for awhile (i'm sure she thought she was breaking ground lol) but the Eagles went in at Number One and sold a lot of that album which PISSED a lot of people at other stores off (though now there really is no record stores) so no one really cares about exclusives now. What PRINCE did do was make this an issue for RB artists to wake up too.

Agreed!