Kanye West’s claim that streaming is a new form of piracy.
Musician-turned-businessman Kanye West is taking control of how he earns money from his music. He has decided not to release his new project, “Vultures 2,” to digital streaming platforms (DSPs). Instead, he will sell the project directly on his website.
The artist DM’d his YEFANATICS fan page and shared with his supporters his plans for distributing his upcoming album and his thoughts on streaming.
Why He’s Not Streaming
“Was talking with the team about how to release the next album. Like James Blake said streaming devalues our music. We sell albums on Yeezy.com,” Ye said.
“I got 20 million Instagram followers,” he continued. “When five percent of my followers buy an album. That’s one million albums sold That’s 300K more than the biggest album last year.”
Ye: Was talking with the team about how to release the next album
— YEFANATICS (@yefanatics) March 10, 2024
Like James Blake said streaming devalues our music
We sell albums on https://t.co/KZ5lBI5zfM
I got 20 million instagram followers
When 5% of my followers buy an album.
That's 1 million albums sold
That's 300k… pic.twitter.com/oIFK89A9Ki
He continued, “We sold 1 million items on Yeezy.com on Super Bowl Sunday so we know it’s possible. How do you feel about us not streaming and only selling the album digitally.”
In a separate post, the person behind the YEFANATICS fan page informed the rapper they polled his fans about whether they were open to purchasing new music as a download via his website and not through one of the DSPs.
According to the survey results, 86 percent of people voted against having his next two albums sold exclusively on the Yeezy.com website.
Ye new message: pic.twitter.com/tXxcIkDxam
— YEFANATICS (@yefanatics) March 10, 2024
The YEFANATICS support team then expressed that the albums should be available on streaming platforms.
“It would be nice if the album was in Streaming for reasons that many fans do not have the option to pay for the album and others are going to hack it.”
The former billionaire clapped back, “It would be nice for our community to support the albums. Streaming is basically pirating.”
This is not the first time that “The College Dropout” has attempted to figure out a way to distribute his music without going through the traditional means of streaming, which gives artists pennies per stream.
In 2022, Yeezy reportedly made $2 million by selling his “Donda 2” project through his new Stem Player platform. He and the Stem Player company sold 100,000 units of the album pre-loaded Stem to Player, which sold for $200.
According to Kanye, his profit came from multiple ways, including more than 6,200 devices to music fans for $200 apiece, after announcing the second tribute project to his deceased mother. Allegedly, in just one day he made approximately $1.3 million in sales.
Ye via Instagram: pic.twitter.com/dD2YegwvS6
— Photos Of Ye (@PhotosOfKanye) February 18, 2022
“God has a plan. New frontier. Everyone that is supporting our revolution is changing the game for all artists. We no longer have to bow to people who don’t even truly care about music,” Kanye said on his Instagram.
“I walked away from Apple right after having the most number 1’s in Apple history. Song Writers have been really hurt by streaming platforms,” he continued, two years ago.
Ye via Instagram:
— Photos Of Ye (@PhotosOfKanye) February 18, 2022
"I love how Apple only sees artist in only one way. They’ll sit with Daniel Ek but won’t meet with Ye. I remember me and Virg were with Daniel Ek in the club in Stockholm and he told me he could tell I get more pussy than him." pic.twitter.com/06tIVKa9Zg
“Some say I’m the only one who can make this change. So as the leading innovator in the music of the past 20 years. I’m putting my own work on the line to change it,” he wrote. “I’ve already won by not being afraid to move. Now we’re winning because there are true supporters that have invested their hard-earned money in my vision of freedom.”
By the end of 2022, the executives at Stem player terminated their contract and ended their relationship with Kanye.
“I asked Kanye not to take the path he’s on,” said the company’s co-founder and CEO Alex Klein, according to HipHopDX. “We’ve told him that we’re unable to work together while he’s putting out racial conspiracy theories. There’s no deal in place.”
Klein said that the company had had problems with the rapper since the beginning of their partnership. He seemed to not be as concerned about other artists as he has suggested that he has been.
“Unfortunately, Kanye didn’t want to allow other musical artists onto the platform,” he explained.
“This was a disagreement that we had trouble resolving,” he said.
With the upcoming release on Friday, March 15, Ye has shared that he will be selling “Vultures 2” for $20.
