An agreement where a music video is made available on one platform before anywhere else, usually for a defined window of 24 to 72 hours before a wider release.
Exclusives are a negotiating tool labels use with platforms. The platform gets early access in exchange for promotional placement; the artist benefits from being featured prominently. After the window, the video goes everywhere.
Exclusive in the real world
In 2016, Tidal secured a series of major exclusives including videos from Beyonce’s Lemonade release and content from Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo era. The exclusives were controversial because they placed premium content behind a paid subscription service, but they also drove significant subscriber growth for Tidal during those periods and established that video exclusives had genuine commercial value for streaming platforms.
Related terms
World premiereThe first official public release of a music video, the mome..., VEVOA music video hosting and distribution platform co-owned by ..., PromoShort for promotional video. The industry term for a music v..., CommissionerThe person at the record label or management company respons..., Commissioning budgetThe total amount of money allocated by the label or artist t...