Will Taylor Swift Stream? Music Industry Is Left to Guess<br />“Taylor Swift is one of the few artists who has the combination of star power<br />and fan cultivation to truly drive how her music is consumed,” said Vickie Nauman, an industry consultant and former digital music executive.<br />With streaming now contributing nearly two-thirds of the revenue of the recording industry in the United States,<br />few artists would even consider withholding their music from outlets like Spotify and Apple Music.<br />As the music world awaits the release of Taylor Swift’s new album, “Reputation,” on Friday, the industry<br />has been preoccupied with a guessing game: Will it be immediately available on streaming services?<br />Swift released her last album, “1989,” three years ago, streaming was still an unproven format,<br />and the defiant stances she took against Spotify and Apple over royalties and control were hailed as heroic wins for artists’ rights.<br />Swift also kept “1989” off streaming services, reaching a deal with Apple Music only after eight months; by<br />that time, the album had sold five million copies via download and CD.
