Adele 25: Spotify hints 'Hello' singer is disappointing fans by not putting new album on streaming services
Spotify is hoping to 'change Adele's mind' so that fans can enjoy the new music on its streaming service
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Your support makes all the difference.Adele’s long-awaited third album 25 has finally been released after weeks of anticipation but unfortunately, fans will not be able to listen to it on Spotify or any other streaming service.
The Oscar-winning singer’s past two records, 19 and 21, can still be streamed, but they only arrived on the services some time after hitting shelves. It remains unknown when 25 will join them, if it ever does.
Fans can currently stream Adele’s chart-topping new single “Hello” on Spotify, but the rest of the new album is unavailable.
Users are greeted with the following message when they try to listen to the album: “The artist or their representatives have decided not to release this album on Spotify just yet. We’re working on it and hope we can change their minds soon.”
A Spotify spokesperson said: “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.”
Adele is not the only high-profile artist to hold her music back from streaming services. Taylor Swift pulled her entire repertoire from Spotify last year, claiming it devalued her music by streaming it for free, before reaching a deal with Apple Music to stream bestselling album 1989 after persuading them to pay royalties during the three-month free trial period.
Spotify, however, argues that fans “should be able to listen to music wherever and whenever they want”. The company published a long blog post aimed at tempting Swift back.
“Artists have an absolute right to be paid for their work and protected from piracy,” it read. “That's why we pay nearly 70 per cent of our revenue back to the music community.”
Both Adele and Taylor Swift have been described as outliers in the music industry because their huge popularity means they need not rely on streaming services to boost sales.
“Adele arguably needs streaming services less than any previous holdouts,” an industry source told Billboard. “She could release her album on cassette only and it would still be the biggest selling album of the year.”
Representatives for Adele did not immediately respond to our request for comment.
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