iTunes Store Sees Unlikely Revival as Pop Stars Push Exclusives
Pop stars are using iTunes-only releases to reach superfans and lift chart positions, reviving the store years after Apple retired its app.
Apple retired the iTunes Mac app in the summer of 2019 in favor of separate music, podcasts and TV apps. The iTunes Store had changed how people bought music, pushing digital sales over physical purchases and letting users buy individual songs rather than an entire album. Most listening has since moved to streaming services, with relatively few people buying music outright.
According to the Financial Times, the store is now being used for exclusive releases. Last month, Ariana Grande surprise-released a live version of her latest album Petal as an iTunes-only exclusive; it jumped from No. 15 to No. 6 on the charts. Taylor Swift's Life of a Showgirl album did better from physical and digital sales in its first week in the US than it did on streaming services, the report said. Charli XCX made the B-side songs to her Music, Fashion, Film album an iTunes exclusive. Doja Cat, Summer Walker and Tinashe have also released iTunes-exclusive material in recent years.
A report in February said Apple was still marketing iTunes to music labels. Industry experts have mixed views on how well the strategy is likely to work more broadly, according to the Financial Times.
Editor's Summary The iTunes Store is being used by major pop artists for exclusive releases that can reach superfans and affect chart rankings. Apple retired the desktop app in 2019, but the store remains a promotional and sales channel for labels and artists. Experts are divided on whether the tactic can work broadly.