Update: Prince’s catalog is now live on Apple Music.
Ahead of The Grammys this evening, Warner Brothers has announced that Prince’s music will become available on streaming services this afternoon.
Originally rumored earlier this month, the release of Prince’s catalog to Apple Music and other services comes as a tribute to the late-artist is expected at The Grammys.
Prince’s music is already live on Spotify, but should rollout to Apple Music and other streaming platforms before The Grammys commence this evening, as noted by Bloomberg.
It’s important to note that only Prince’s Warner Music catalog is included in this deal, so music recorded outside of that partnership will not be available on streaming services today.
Previously, Prince’s music had been limited to Tidal, a partnership he established himself before he passed away. Because Prince died without a will, however, decisions regarding his work were left up to the estate, which went as far as to sue Jay Z’s Roc Nation over the exclusivity deal.
“Warner Bros. is thrilled to be able to bring Prince’s music to his millions of fans around the world via streaming services, fittingly on music’s biggest night.”
Prince marks yet another notable streaming holdout to jump into the fray. Previously, notoriously anti-streaming acts such as AC/DC and The Beatles joined Apple Music.
Following his death, Apple prominently featured a Prince collection of albums, songs, and more on iTunes. Additionally, many Apple executives commented on his passing, while Beats 1 played a multitude of tributes to the artist.
Prince’s catalog of music isn’t live on Apple Music just yet, but we’re expecting it to become available at any second as Warner says that it will hit before The Grammys kick off this evening at 8:30ET. Check out our how to on The Grammys – hosted by James Corden – for all the details about streaming the show.
