Indeed, Swift's decision marks the first instance in which 1989 will be streamed for free since its October 2014 release. The music superstar famously decided to remove her entire catalog from Spotify due to her opposition to the "freemium" business model.
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Last Sunday, Swift posted a letter on Tumblr titled To Apple, Love Taylor that took issue with the company's lack of artist compensation during Apple Music's planned three-month free trial period. "I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company," Swift wrote of the decision.
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Within a matter of hours, Apple announced that it will pay labels during the free trial period, calling an audible that it explicitly tied to Swift's written appeal. "When I woke up this morning and saw what Taylor had written, it really solidified that we needed a change," Apple senior vice president of internet services and software Eddy Cue told Billboard. "And so that's why we decide we will now pay artists during the trial period."
Swift has not yet clarified if 1989 will be her only album featured on Apple Music, which launches on June 30, or if all five of her studio albums will be showcased on the new platform. Featuring three No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 chart, 1989 has sold 4.95 million copies to date, according to Nielsen Music.
