In a deal that likely netted Snoop Dogg a decent-sized check and a fair amount of press, the extensive Death Row Records catalog streaming once again, but only on TikTok.
Snoop brought Death Row in early 2022 with a roster that includes the Dogg himself, Mount Westmore, and Merkules and a catalog from 2Pac, Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg, and others.
The collaboration “marks the label’s first official online release since its removal from streaming services in early 2022, and the first-ever catalog reissue to release exclusively through (TikTok’s music distribution platform) SoundOn,” a Death Row Records rep told Music Business Worldwide.
Is windowing back?
Windowing – the practice of releasing music in one place (i.e., a single service) or one format (physical vs. digital) – has fallen out of favor at labels. But the fact that we’re writing about this confirms that it still has its place.
The TikTok Death Row exclusive appears set to last only one week, with a full catalog Spotify and other services promised “soon.”
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Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.
