• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechApple

Kanye Flip-Flops and Launches Album On Apple Music, Spotify

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 1, 2016, 1:39 PM ET
Saturday Night Live - Season 41
Photograph by NBC NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Kanye West, the self-proclaimed greatest at, well, seemingly everything, has done the unthinkable.

West’s latest album, The Life of Pablo, is now available on Apple (AAPL) Music. The music mogul also offered it to Spotify users and launched a $20 digital download from his website. The album, which launched in February, is still available on its original (and at that time, exclusive) home Tidal, another streaming service he owns with friend and fellow musical artist Jay-Z, among others.

Although an album launching on Apple Music and Spotify are rarely surprises, this one falls into that category. West has been one of the more vocal Apple critics over the last several months, and he said in February that his album would never come to the iPhone maker’s streaming service.

“My album will never never never be on Apple,” West tweeted in February. “And it will never be for sale. You can only get it on Tidal.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

It appears now that West has gone back on his word on all counts. Not only can Apple Music customers now stream his entire album, but West’s personal homepage redirects visitors to an image of the album art and the option to buy a digital download.

So, what made the artist also known as Yeezus change his mind? Like anything else with the self-proclaimed “greatest artist of all time,” it’s all a conundrum. This is, after all, the same person who asked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Twitter to invest $1 billion in his ideas. It’s also the same person who talked about his financial woes and has gone on countless, meandering commentaries about nothing in particular.

If nothing else, Kanye West is fascinating. Judging by the popularity of Tidal after TLOP‘s initial release when it rocketed to the top of Apple’s App Store downloads, he shockingly might also be on to something.

For more about Kanye West, watch:

Beyond the simple fact that West is unpredictable, speculation abounds over why he launched his album on Apple Music—despite saying he never would. For one, West previously brought a couple of the album’s tracks to Apple Music, suggesting he was warming to Apple.

In addition, Peter Kafka at Re/Code has suggested that perhaps his move is about finances. By offering The Life of Pablo solely on Tidal, West and his label, Universal Music Group, weren’t making any money on the launch. By now offering the album elsewhere, he has an opportunity to generate some cash flow on his creation.

Read more: One of Kanye West’s New Tracks Is Now on Spotify

Regardless, The Life of Pablo and all of its songs are finally on Apple Music and elsewhere. So if you’re interested in getting “a luminescent, gospel-informed glimpse of Kanye’s constantly evolving worldview,” you can do it now by streaming or downloading your way to Kanye greatness.

But hurry up—you never know when West might change his mind.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

AIAI agents
OpenAI cofounder says he hasn’t written a line of code in months and is in a ‘state of psychosis’ trying to figure out what’s possible
By Jason MaMarch 21, 2026
4 hours ago
david
CommentaryScience
The one skill that separates people who get smarter with AI from everyone else
By David Rock and Chris WellerMarch 21, 2026
9 hours ago
Geoffrey Hinton standing in front of a white and grey background.
AITech
‘Godfather of AI’ says tech companies aren’t concerned with the AI endgame. They’re focused on short-term profits instead
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 21, 2026
10 hours ago
MagazineCoding
Cursor’s crossroads: The rapid rise, and very uncertain future, of a $30 billion AI startup
By Allie GarfinkleMarch 21, 2026
10 hours ago
war
CommentaryMiddle East
Companies are now on the front lines of war. They need to act like it
By Jeremy BashMarch 21, 2026
10 hours ago
A woman looks frustrated a computer
AIWomen
Women are avoiding the very technology that threatens them most, as expert warns of a ‘two-tiered AI economy’ approaching
By Jacqueline MunisMarch 21, 2026
13 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.