Kanye West and Beyoncé Might Have Saved TidalThe streaming service has hit number one on the app rankings for the first time ever.
This story originally appeared onFortune Magazine
By the power vested in Kanye, Tidal has hit number one.
With exclusive streaming rights to Kanye West's new albumThe Life of Pablofirmly secured, Tidal has used that as a platform to jump to the top of Apple's App Storechartsas new users eager to hear the rapper's latest work come on board as subscribers.
It's the first time that the streaming service -- which hasendureda rocky start since it was relaunched by rapper Jay Z early last year -- has hit number one on the app rankings, a point that West himself championed on his ever-active Twitter account:
The rise of Tidal to the top was undoubtedly helped by West'sdecisionto hold back the sale of his latest album on his website for a week, giving the new streaming site true exclusivity over competitors like Spotify and Apple Music, and a golden chance to gain new subscribers:
For those who may balk at the $9.99/month membership fee, there is also a way around that, thanks to another superstar artiste: Beyoncé. To promote the release of her own single "Formation," you can head to a Tidal-Queen Beypartnered site, type in your name and email, and receive a 90-day free trial of the music service and a copy of Beyoncé'sSuper Bowl-rocking song. (You can also thank业务Insiderfor the tip.)
Tidal's new-found success, however, hasn't been all that smooth. There are reports of users who have failed to receive the download link forThe Life of Pabloeven after paying for it, reportedTechCrunch.In some cases, Tidal double-billed customers and still didn't send the album download link.
Fortunehas reached out to Tidal on the complaints from users, and will update this story if they respond.