Spotify hadn't even made its U.S. launch when Adele's record-shattering album 21 came out in January of 2011. And as fans prepare for what will assuredly be another record-breaker in her forthcoming album, 25, the "Hello" crooner still hasn't decided whether or not to release her music on Spotify, Apple Music or any music streaming service at all.
A lot has happened in those four years since Spotify's slow U.S. launch in July of 2011, including the launch and acquisition of Beats Music, Jay Z's Tidal streaming service and a number of feuds between Taylor Swift and Apple Music, T-Swift and Spotify and between Swift and Nicki Minaj (the latter isn't relevant; Swift just has a lot of feuds).
Exclusivity to a music streaming service or choosing to keep music off all these online options for a limited time has become a powerful tool to increase sales and influence the industry. The New York Times reports that Adele is leaving these companies in suspense just two weeks out from the album's official release.
Mainstream artists such as Beyoncé, Swift and Adele still gain highly lucrative sales from physical and digital downloads, so by making her music available to everyone right off the bat, Adele could lose a lot of potential revenue.
But CD sales aren't what they used to be. In the last decade revenue from CD sales has declined a whopping 80 percent and music streaming now makes up a growing 32 percent, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
"Spotify and others like it have become the new radio play," Jim Griffin, a digital media entrepreneur and former record executive, told The New York Times. "In a very real way, not being on Spotify is like not being on the radio 10 years ago, and that's a problem."
There's a real possibility she could sell well over 1 million copies in the first week, so Adele has a difficult decision on her hands, but it's not one she takes lightly as she's said to be closely involved with the logistics of her album release.
