Kanye West’s $200 Stem Player will be the only way to get his next album,Donda 2

Until it’s uploaded on pirate sites and everyone just downloads it for free…

I have no vested interest in Kanye or his music - don’t really care for the person or his tunes (though I have no ill-will there) - but I don’t quite get this move. The device sounds like an interactive thing where you can remix the music a little bit or something? Not really sure. Sounds cool. But it’s weird to me why that’s the only way to get the album. Seems like it would be more like an additional device that you could purchase if you’re really into it. But if you just want the music, why can’t you just buy it somewhere.

He’s taking a stand against the music industry as it is today (almost all streaming and royalties are abysmal), I get it. And to some extent, I agree with it! It’s a noble cause. It just feels like his execution isn’t going to land the way he expects. Though I suppose he’s getting a lot of publicity out of it, so maybe that was the goal all along…