Prince was never into online music, but the people who hold his musical legacy after his death decided to include his work in online music platforms. Spotify will start streaming the Prince classics this Sunday. It's expected that Apple Music will also have the collection, along with Amazon Music and iHeartRadio.
Prince protected his music fiercely online, insisting on taking down clips of his music on YouTube and over the web. In 2015, he pulled off his music from all online streaming services except for Tidal. Prince was a major innovator in bringing music on the web. He created his very own online distribution system, The NPG Music Club, which became his official website in 2001. Shorty after that he shut it down. He also holds a Webby Lifetime achievement Award.
Signing a streaming deal is an urgent matter for Prince's copyright holders. They are worth approximately $200 million, however, they might also owe around $100 million in taxes. Tax specialists say Prince could have dodged this type of massive tax invoice, however, he did little to protect his assets. The streaming deal will consist of all of Prince's albums from 1978 to 1996.
