Another holdout wavers: Tool may release music to streaming platforms

The ranks of streaming holdouts have been slowly dwindling as the digital distribution takes hold of ever-larger market share. The latest artist to ponder a change of heart is hard rock band Tool. Sources claiming to be familiar with negotiations said members of Tool have been talking to platforms like Spotify and Apple Music about paths to releasing their music. However, neither the companies nor lead singer Maynard James Keenan have commented on the rumors.

If the band does reverse course and put its music on streaming platforms, the change will likely correspond with the release of a new album. No specific date has been given for the new project, Tool’s first in over a decade.

The past few years have seen several critics of digital music companies putting their work up on streaming services. The Beatles’ catalog arrived on multiple platforms on Christmas Eve of 2015. By November 2016, Metallica and Radiohead had music on services they’d opposed (Napster and Spotify, respectively).

Anna Washenko