Jay-Z however, is in a very different position to most artists. This is despite 2017 presenting two substantial windowing opportunities with Ed Sheeran’s new album and Harry Styles’ self-titled debut – however neither were windowed on any service. Whilst numerous personal revelations (as well as receiving Jay-Z’s best critical response since 2003’s The Black Album) have meant blanket press coverage across social and traditional media, it is also notable that 4:44 is the first major windowing project to arrive this year. Arriving on the coat-tails of a windowing gold-rush that had seen releases by Beyonce, Kanye West and Chance the Rapper all utilising the strategy, Ocean’s move effectively put the brakes on the practice, leaving Universal CEO Lucian Grainge allegedly so infuriated that he ordered a company-wide halt to any further windowing projects.įast forward to 2017 and Jay-Z’s 4:44 has brought windowing back to the fore. Yet, as MIDiA addressed last year, Frank Ocean’s bait-and-switch manoeuvre with Universal in August 2016 sent shockwaves through an industry still acclimatising to streaming economics. Already common practice in the film-industry, the strategy was being touted as a way of utilising artist fan engagement to drive registrations (both freemium and paid) to streaming services, thus engendering the payment behaviours that would ultimately grow the industry. This is a guest post from MIDiA’s Media and Music Analyst Zach Fuller.įor a brief moment last year, windowing seemed like the future of music streaming.
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