These should be the best of times for TIDAL.
The Kanye West exclusive is apparently bringing in millions of new subscribers, and there are reports that Samsung is in talks to purchase the streaming music service.
But Jay Z's baby has just been hit with a lawsuit that slices at it's very heart.
The Jasmine Brand reports that musician John Emanuele has filed a $5 million suit against Hov and two other companies behind TIDAL for copyright infringement and underpayment of royalties.
"Ironically, when Defendant Carter purchased the Tidal Music Service in 2015, it claimed it would be the first streaming service to pay the artists. Different owner, same game,” Emanuele says in his suit.He specifically alleges that TIDAL underpaid royalties and has yet to provide artists with monthly accounting reports.
No word yet on whether other artists will join the suit.
Update: TIDAL has responded to the suit
"TIDAL is up to date on all royalties for the rights to the music stated in Yesh Music, LLC and John Emanuele’s claim and they are misinformed as to who, if anyone, owes royalty payments to them," the statement says. "As Yesh Music, LLC admits in their claim, TIDAL has the rights to the Master Recordings through its distributor Tunecore and have paid Tunecore in full for such exploitations. Their dispute appears to be over the mechanical licenses, which we are also up to date on payments via Harry Fox Agency our administrator of mechanical royalties.
"The entire catalogue in question streamed fewer than 13,000 times on TIDAL and its predecessor over the past year," it continues. "We have now removed all music associated with Yesh Music, LLC and John Emanuele from the service. This is the first we have heard of this dispute and Yesh Music, LLC should be engaging Harry Fox Agency if they believe they are owed the royalties claimed. They especially should not be naming S Carter Enterprises, LLC, which has nothing to do with Tidal. This claim serves as nothing other than a perfect example of why America needs Tort reform."