Why Jay-Z’s Music App Tidal Sounds Doomed

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Giving away music is how you get people to pay for it. That might seem crazy, but it’s true, though Jay-Z doesn’t want to listen. He just launched a music streaming service called Tidal with Beyoncé, Daft Punk, Kanye, Arcade Fire, and Rihanna as co-owners contributing exclusive content. The goal is to get artists properly paid.

The problem is Tidal subscriptions costs $20 for high-definition streaming and $10 for regular quality, with no free ad-supported option. Most people won’t pay.

Focusing on exclusives is a cool concept that might appeal to crazy fans, but it’s probably not enough to make Tidal a big success. Watch the video above to hear why. It’s a lot easier than reading a massive article about it.

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