HIP AND RNB EMBRACE STREAMING MUSIC
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Recently , “What a Time to Be Alive,” a new mix tape by the star rappers Drake and Future, opened at No. 1 by a wide margin, it was announced on Monday — a victory for Apple, which had an exclusive deal to release the album first.
But the album’s success is also the latest example of the extraordinary popularity of hip-hop on streaming music services. Throughout 2015, on outlets like Spotify, Rhapsody and Apple Music, releases by hip-hop and rhythm-and-blues acts including Drake, Kendrick Lamar, ASAP Rocky and the Weeknd have consistently posted far higher numbers than those in other genres.
Those results reflect a banner year for hip-hop and R&B music, with a crop of acclaimed albums and a generation of influential stars. But music executives say they are also an indication of the way that listeners consume music these days, with hip-hop’s younger, mobile-connected audience leading a shift away from downloads.
The singer Drake, right, with Eddy Cue of Apple, at the company's developers conference in San Francisco last month.Apple Music Attracts 11 Million Users in Trial Period, Executive SaysAUG. 6, 2015
The Santa Monica, Calif., offices of the Universal Music Publishing Group. Its revenue was up 15.4 percent in the first half.Universal Music Posts Strong Results, and Streaming Is a Bright SpotSEPT. 2, 2015
The musician Drake, right, with Eddy Cue, a top Apple executive, during a developer conference in June where Apple Music was introduced.appraisal: Apple Music Is Strong on Design, Weak on Social NetworkingJULY 1, 2015