Metro Boomin Plans To Stop Releasing His Albums On Streaming Services
Metro doesn’t like the current model.
Metro Boomin is the most famous producer in hip-hop at the moment. He kicked off the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle, scoring a number one single and dropping a viral instrumental in the process. Both of his studio albums have gone platinum. He even dropped an acclaimed soundtrack to a Sony superhero film in 2023. He’s a recognizable brand, which is why he wants to make control over the distribution of his music. Namely, the use of digital streaming services.
Metro Boomin took a screenshot of a X (formerly Twitter) exchange on June 24. The screenshot was in response to a question about “industry math.” It broke down, in simple terms, how little an artist actually makes from an album when it’s uploaded to DSPs. “A fan needs to stream an artist’s music 20 times a day for a whole year for that artist to make $25 from that fan,” the tweet read. Metro Boomin not only co-signed the tweet, but made a big announcement. He told followers that these paltry streaming profits are partially why he’s going to stop putting albums on streaming. “This is why my next album probably be the last one streaming,” he wrote.
Metro Boomin’s Next Album Will Reportedly Be His Last On DSPs
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The producer didn’t specify what his next album will be. The announcement could pose issues for DSPs like Apple Music and Spotify, though. Metro Boomin and Future dominated the Spotify charts with their joint album WE DON”T TRUST YOU in March. Forbes reported that the duo occupied half a dozen of the top 10 spots on Spotify’s U.S. charts. The biggest song, “Like That,” beat out the second place entry by an impressive 400K streams. This announcement comes a year after Metro Boomin decided to sell part of his publishing catalog to Shamrock Capital for $70 million.
Metro is mindful of his worth, but he’s made a point of avoiding “cash grab” trends. He spoke on the importance of maintaining a quality brand during an interview with Variety. “I feel like people can just tell I care,” he asserted. “At a time when everybody has their hand out — like, ‘Let me do this for cash; let me make a dance for TikTok’ — you can hear all the details and thought behind my music.” Only time will tell if the producer sticks to his non-streaming plan.
