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Taylor Swift's 1989 is coming to Apple Music

Taylor Swift's 1989 is coming to Apple Music

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'This is simply the first time it's felt right in my gut to stream my album.'

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Taylor Swift's latest album, 1989, is coming to Apple Music, representing a massive get for the streaming service ahead of its June 30th launch. The pop singer announced the news on Twitter moments ago, which ends a dramatic saga that began Sunday when Swift voiced disappointment over the original terms of Apple Music's three-month free trial. The company had first planned to hold back royalties for any music streamed during the trial, a decision that drew heavy criticism from lesser known, indie performers. In her Tumblr post, Swift said she was speaking on behalf of those artists.

A lot has changed in less than a week.

Late Sunday night, Apple announced that it would in fact pay artists, record labels, and publishers for streams during the trial period. Taylor Swift was pleased with the move, but the question of whether 1989 would be part of Apple Music's catalog remained. So far, Swift has kept the album away from all streaming services — even those that don't offer any free service. Several of Apple Music's rivals have access to Swift's back catalog, however.

Swift noted that 1989's move to Apple Music is not an "exclusive" like the deal Apple has worked out with Pharrell. But it's still a huge win for Apple; 1989 has sold millions of copies since its release last fall and still ranks in the top 10 charts for album sales on iTunes. It's the biggest release in years, and Apple Music will be the first streaming app to get it. But Swift's careful language suggests it may also appear on competing services soon.


WWDC 2015: Apple Music