Proving once again he’s got the independent spirit and contempt for tornadoes that define a true American, longtime digital holdout Garth Brooks has finally made his music available online. But rather than go through the usual digital channels, Brooks has launched an entirely new provider, Ghost Tunes, which puts his music center stage. (Brooks had initially promised to make his albums available on Garthbrooks.com after announcing his new album in July.) Brooks owns a partial stake in Ghost Tunes, which he says has a total of 7 million songs by hundreds of different artists.
Brooks has good reason to be suspicious of digital middlemen. According to the RIAA, he is the third-biggest selling artist in American history with 134 million units sold, and surely he can move a few million more off of drunk people requesting “Friends In Low Places” alone. Interested parties can apply through the Ghost Tunes website, which is offering Brooks’ new single, “People Loving People,” the rest of his new album as it becomes available, a double live album, and all eight of his studio albums for $29.99. Fans of Brooks’ alt-rock alter ego Chris Gaines, however, are still shit out of luck.
[via Rolling Stone]