Kanye West, who officially goes by the title “Ye” these days, has opted to make getting his next album, “Donda 2,” just a bit more difficult to get than most any other album released digitally. Specifically, the artist has announced that he will not be launching the next album on platforms like Apple Music or Spotify, instead opting for a proprietary route.
Ye took to his Instagram earlier today to announce that his next album will not be available on “Apple Amazon Spotify or YouTube,” but will instead be launched only on his own platform. That’s called the Stem Player. Ye goes on to say that it’s time to “free music from this oppressive system,” noting that artists get only “12% of the money the industry makes.” Ye’s decision isn’t completely out of ordinary here, as the first “Donda” album launched with the Stem Player –a physical device that costs $200– as a pre-installed album.
The Stem Player is designed to allow owners to customize the tracks available on it, including vocals and bass and other effects.
Ye says that there are 67,000 units available of the Stem Player, but that production is ramping up to meet demand. Especially in light of the “Donda 2” release. According to Ye, 3,000 units are being manufactured every single day.
“Donda 2” is set to launch on February 22, 2022. While the artist says that the album will be an exclusive to the Stem Player, and doesn’t indicate that will change anytime soon, it’s possible it does. Ye has said in the past that albums like “The Life of Pablo” wouldn’t be available on Apple Music, and yet, that changed just one month later.
So, are you buying a Stem Player to get “Donda 2”?