Kanye West Uses the Stem Player to Change the Music Industry
- Kanye West released Donda 2, the sequel to the Donda album, on February 23, 2022.
- The album will be exclusively available on the Stem Player, a tech device that Kanye co-founded, as he wishes to revolutionize how one listens to music.
- Kanye is dropping exclusive music on the Stem Player in hopes that other artists will use this device if they wish to sell exclusive music.
On February 23, 2022, Kanye West dropped the Donda 2 album exclusively on the Stem Player. The exclusive release of his much-anticipated album on the Stem Player left many outraged on social media as they felt the price to purchase the device was steep at $200. Although the steep price reduces the chances of fans purchasing the device, Kanye is sticking by his message that the device will be revolutionary when listening to music.
How Does the Stem Player Work?
The Stem Player is an audio device that works differently compared to other popular streaming services. The electronics company, Kano, developed this device, and it features a headphone jack for private listening and a 97dB speaker for public listening.
The Stem Player allows the user to upload songs onto its 8GB of storage, where the user can then modify it. On the Player, there are four white strips, all of which control various parts of the song. These four strips control the voice, drums, bass, and samples, giving the user total control over what part of the song they wish to hear and modifying how the song sounds.
Why Kanye Wishes to use the Stem Player for Donda 2
As the Yeezy tech brand co-founded the Stem Player with Alex Klein, the CEO of Kano, they needed people to begin purchasing their product. Thus, Kanye decided to make his latest album exclusively available on his new tech device.
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Although his album’s exclusivity generates higher sales as users who wish to listen must also purchase the Stem Player, Kanye hopes the tech device will help revolutionize and change how people listen to music.
The Impact of the Stem Player on the Music Industry
Since Kanye entered the music industry, he has been revolutionizing how music is produced and has become an idol for the new generation. His latest innovation is no different, as he hopes that various artists will use his Stem Player in years to come.
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The main impact of the Stem Player on the music industry is it will allow various artists to promote their exclusive music on a different platform. Currently, there is a gap in the music industry, as there is no popular streaming platform that allows artists to promote exclusive music.
All artists have hardcore fans who will go out of their way to purchase whatever is necessary to listen to the new music their favorite has dropped. Thus, if artists wish to use a platform to promote and release exclusive music, they can now use the Stem Player.
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Kanye has been criticized heavily over the past few years. But the past couple of months the primary criticism arose due to his divorce from Kim Kardashian. In addition, the legally single Kim Kardashian has started a new relationship with Pete Davidson, which Kanye has stated negative feelings toward their relationship online. Most recently, Kanye released the music video to the song ‘Eazy’ which shows graphic images of him kidnapping Pete Davidson and burying him alive.
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However, Kanye has used media exposure to promote his album and new device, which more artists may use in the future.
What are your thoughts on Kanye West’s Stem Player? Do you believe that it will result in more artists using them when and if they wish to release exclusive music? Let us know in the comments below.
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