Exclusively on the Stem Player, Donda 2 violates Billboard’s merchandise bundle policy
According to Billboard, Kanye West’s latest album Donda 2 will not chart at all. Because West has been selling the album only through his Stem Player, it is in violation of Billboard’s merchandise bundle policy, which deems albums sold with merchandise invalid.
Despite being the most played artist on Spotify in anticipation for the debut of Donda 2, Kanye West’s choice to exclusively release the album on his $200 STEM Player deprived him of a Billboard chart placing.
Billboard confirms Kanye West’s ‘DONDA 2’ is not eligible to chart because it’s sold exclusively with the Stem Player, violating their merchandise bundle policy.
— chart data (@chartdata) March 7, 2022
The STEM player, according to Billboard, “may be utilized for various purposes besides playing the music,” which classifies it as merch. Kanye has been silent on whether he wants to make Donda 2 more widely available, whether through streaming or other ways.
In February, Kanye stated that Donda 2 will be available exclusively on his STEM player as part of his “anti-streaming movement,” calling streaming a “oppressive system” that underpays musicians. The action put his relationship with Apple Music in jeopardy, as rumours claim Ye turned down a $100 million agreement to launch the project on his STEM player.
Kanye West Is Dominating Spotify Even After Releasing “Donda 2” On Stem Player
On social media, Ye chastised Apple, asking why the firm was prepared to meet with Spotify CEO Daniel Ek but not with him. “I love how Apple only sees artist in only one way,” he wrote alongside a screenshot of a text from a Live Nation executive informing him the Apple sponsorship deal was dead. “They’ll sit with Daniel Ek but won’t meet with Ye. I remember me and Virg were with Daniel Ek in the club in Stockholm and he told me he could tell I get more p**sy than him.”
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