Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Taylor Swift tweets ensure 1989 will be available on Apple Music

Earlier this week, Taylor Swift published a Tumblr post  explaining her decision to withhold her hit album 1989 from the forthcoming Apple Music streaming service. However, thanks to some quick PR work and a change of course by Apple, it appears 1989 will indeed be making its way to the anticipated new platform after all.

Recommended Videos

On Sunday, Swift explained that even though she has plenty of money, Apple’s plan to hold back three months of royalty payments during the service’s free trial would be a detriment to indie musicians. “We don’t ask you for free iPhones. Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation,” Swift wrote.

Soon after, Apple’s Eddy Cue announced that Apple Music would be changing its plan and would pay royalties to artists even during the free trial. We now know that Apple will pay 0.2 cents per song streamed during the trial period.

Less than a week after Apple’s about-face, Swift announced she would allow the service to stream her album, 1989, which features popular hits Shake it Off, Blank Space and Bad Blood.

“After the events of this week, I’ve decided to put 1989 on Apple Music…and happily so,” she tweeted.

Swift also made it clear via Twitter that — unlike Pharell Williams’ new song, Freedom — the choice to allow 1989 to stream on Apple Music was not the result of an exclusive streaming deal between the two parties.

Released on October 27, 2014, 1989 is the fifth studio album by Taylor Swift. The album was released through Swift’s Big Machine Records, becoming the hottest selling album of 2014 with more than 4.95 million copies sold.

In other wins for Apple following the decision to pay up during the free trial, Apple Music made deals with two major indie music rights holders, including Beggars Group and Merlin Network, which oversee over 20,000 indie labels and distributors. Apple Music is set to debut June 30.

Available at: Apple Music

Karen Tumbokon
Karen is a technology, music and entertainment writer. Originally from New Jersey, Karen began her writing career in music…
Concert overload? Apple Music’s new feature can help you choose
The Apple Music screen on the Apple iPhone 16 Plus.

It's a good time to have ears because there's a lot of amazing music coming out all the time. Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter are churning out catchy earworms left and right. Old favorites like Linkin Park and Breaking Benjamin are making comebacks. If you've already had to choose between concerts this year, it was probably a tough choice — but Apple Music is introducing a new feature that might help you make your decision.

Apple Music will soon have a tool that musicians can use to create specific playlists based on the setlists of their current shows. If several concerts are happening at the same time, you'll be able to look at the setlist and see what songs are being performed. If one artist is playing your favorite album and the other isn't, well, it's an easy choice.

Read more
How much is Apple Music, and how can you get it for free?
Apple Music on iPhone.

Apple Music has established itself as a formidable player in music streaming, trailing only behind the giant Spotify. Offering a treasure trove of over 100 million songs, handpicked playlists, and exclusive artist content, it’s a paradise for music enthusiasts.

Since its inception in 2015, Apple Music has expanded its vast library and continually enhanced its features, perfectly weaving itself into the rich fabric of the Apple ecosystem to provide an unparalleled listening experience. It’s no wonder it has become a beloved choice for auditory adventurers, standing tall as a fierce competitor among the myriad streaming services available today.

Read more
Sleep apnea detection is now available for these two Apple Watches
Activating Siri on the Apple Watch Series 9.

Last week, during the "It's Glowtime" event, Apple announced that sleep apnea tracking would arrive on the Apple Watch as soon as it received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. That approval has now arrived, and as such, the sleep apnea feature is rolling out to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 today as part of the watchOS 11 update. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 10 will have the feature when it launches this Friday.

Apple's sleep apnea feature works by using the new Breathing Disturbances metric. It takes advantage of the accelerometer in your Apple Watch to track how often you're moving around during the night. These movements can indicate an interruption in sleep, and the count is analyzed every 30 days. The Watch will notify users if consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea are shown.

Read more