How Prince Fought The Music Industry And The Internet: A Career Fraught With Legal Battles For Control

Fans hoping to stream Prince’s music in tribute to the late virtuoso Thursday were very likely disappointed by the lack of choices. On mainstream services such as Spotify and Apple Music, Prince was virtually nowhere to be found. Instead, online users had to turn to the smaller Tidal, where much of his music streams exclusively. It was either that or purchase his music by downloading it through the iTunes Store or as a physical CD.

Inconsistent? Sure. But that’s the way Prince Rogers Nelson wanted it: his music, delivered on his terms.