Tidal, Jay Z‘s streaming service that launched in March 2015, released several numbers touting its exclusive offerings that have appeared on its site in 2016, complete with a handy video complement.
In a year that began with an arms race of sorts between Tidal and Apple Music with regards to album exclusives (a trend that largely abated as the year went on), the streaming service boasts 32 exclusive albums that have been released on the platform this year, including the high-profile early 2016 releases of Rihanna‘s Anti, Kanye West‘s The Life of Pablo and Beyoncé‘s Lemonade. That number is boosted by the 15 Prince albums — which have since come under legal fire — posted on the late icon’s birthday in June, as well as Jay’s three Blueprint albums, which were made Tidal exclusives this March.
As Billboard reported last week, however, the music industry has largely moved away from full-album exclusives (though Tidal’s artist-owner model sets it slightly apart from many industry trends), and it’s the other exclusive offerings that, ultimately, are now defining the streamers’ competitive edge. To that end, Tidal says it has produced 39 live streams of concerts and festivals around the world; given away over 180,000 tickets to subscribers for more than 100 events; hosted more than 45 music videos and 90 behind-the-scenes videos; and offered more than 150 playlists created by artists, athletes and celebrities throughout the year..
