Taylor Swift Makes Full Catalog Available via Streaming Services
Taylor Swift‘s entire back catalog will be released on all streaming services at midnight on Thursday. The news was first reported by Swift’s management team on social media via Taylor Nation. A rep for Swift confirmed the news to Rolling Stone. It’s unclear if Swift’s move to utilize streaming services will be permanent or temporary.
It’s also unclear what motivated Swift’s change of heart regarding releasing her catalog to streaming services, though Taylor Nation posted it coincides with her recent RIAA certification. “In celebration of 1989 selling over 10 million albums worldwide and the RIAA’s 100 million song certification, Taylor wants to thank her fans by making her entire back catalog available to all streaming services tonight at midnight,” Taylor Nation tweeted. The release also coincides with Katy Perry’s Witness album release at midnight.
Swift originally pulled her material from streaming platforms in 2014. Calling the platforms a “grand experiment,” she was apprehensive about the new platforms’ roles and how they would pay artists. ” I’m not willing to contribute my life’s work to an experiment that I don’t feel fairly compensates the writers, producers, artists and creators of this music. And I just don’t agree with perpetuating the perception that music has no value and should be free,” Swift said in an interview at the time.
In 2015, she made 1989 available on Apple Music after Apple changed its policies on paying artists and musicians royalties, though Swift’s was not an exclusive deal with Apple. “This is simply the first time it’s felt right in my gut to stream my album. Thank you, Apple, for your change of heart,” Swift said.