No Streaming For Adele?
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The most anxiously anticipated album of the year is almost here.
Adele's 25 is just hours away, but there may be a "buy" button standing in your way before you get to listen.
According to the New York Times, major streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music have been told that they will not be able to stream the album upon its release Friday.
"We love and respect Adele, as do her 24 million fans on Spotify. We hope that she will give those fans the opportunity to enjoy 25 on Spotify alongside 19 and 21 very soon" says a Spotify spokesperson in an official statement provided to CBSPhilly.com.
This will be the third year in a row that Spotify has missed out on the biggest album of the year. In 2013, Beyonce dropped her surprise album on iTunes only. In 2014, Taylor Swift battled with the streaming giant very publicly and kept 1989 off the service. Now an album that is predicted to sell near 2.5 million copies in its first week might be unavailable to users.
It's a huge power play for the music industry which has struggled to find an effective money model in the evolving technological world of music. Shutting out 75 million Spotify users and 20 million paying subscribers is a blow that only Adele's return could deliver.
The team behind Adele have yet to comment on the New York Times report, but you should set $10.99 aside just in case.