Giving away music is how you get people to pay for it. That might seem crazy, but it’s true, though Jay-Z doesn’t want to listen. He just launched a music streaming service called Tidal with Beyoncé, Daft Punk, Kanye, Arcade Fire, and Rihanna as co-owners contributing exclusive content. The goal is to get artists properly paid.
The problem is Tidal subscriptions costs $20 for high-definition streaming and $10 for regular quality, with no free ad-supported option. Most people won’t pay.
Focusing on exclusives is a cool concept that might appeal to crazy fans, but it’s probably not enough to make Tidal a big success.