Apple Music Releases New Frank Ocean Album As Pandora Plans To Launch On-Demand Service

After much anticipation and media hype, New Orleans’ Frank Ocean has released his new visual album "Endless," exclusively via Apple Inc. AAPL's Apple Music. In addition, the artist will launch his new music album (which was originally to be titled "Boys Don't Cry," although the rapper has since said the name has changed) this weekend, also through Apple Music.

Unlike traditional releases, "Endless" is a visual album, a virtually unknown medium.

There isn’t much precedent here for visual albums — although Beyoncé did something similar with her "Lemonade: album. What is known, however, is that "Endless" is a 45-minute, 18-track prequel to the album that will come out over the weekend. The video features multiple Frank Oceans building a [warning, spoiler ahead!] staircase, which seems to be a link between the August 1 live stream that Ocean hosted from an empty warehouse and the new record.

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Here’s the track list:

• "Device Control."
• "Alabama."
• "U-N-I-T-Y."
• "Commes Des Garcons."
• "Wither."
• "In Here Somewhere."
• "Sideways."
• "Deathwish (ASR)."
• "Rushes To."
• "At Your Best (You Are Love)."
• "Mine."
• Ambience 001: "In a Certain Way."
• Ambience 002: "Honeybaby."
• "Hublots."
• "Slide on Me."
• "Florida."
• "Rushes."
• "Higgs."

A few well-known artists worked with Ocean on the new visual album, including Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood, James Blake, Jazmine Sullivan, Alex G and Sampha, as well as musicians from the London Contemporary Orchestra. Four years have passed since the artist’s last album, "Channel Orange," so fans have been pretty anxious. Still, fan thirst is far from quenched as so many questions remain.

Pandora Takes On Apple, Spotify

Apple and Frank Ocean are not the only ones making headlines in the music world. Pandora Media Inc P was also in the spotlight as the Wall Street Journal reported the company could start offering a paid on-demand music streaming as soon as next month, possibly looking to return to user growth after several quarters of plateaued listenership.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the online-radio company is near the closure of several deals with major record firms, which would allow it to distribute their music both in the United States and in new international markets. So far, Pandora doesn't need express permission from labels, as it works as a normal radio — which pays fixed rates per play count, where people cannot select one particular song to listen to.

“When it launches in more markets abroad this fall, Pandora is planning to create more ways for advertisers to make their pitches on its free tier, while offering a $10-a-month service as well that would give subscribers unlimited access to tens of millions of tracks, much like Spotify AB, and Apple Inc.’s Apple Music,” the Journal’s article read. The company also plans on increasing the perks of its $5 ad-free tier, sources added.

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Disclosure: Javier Hasse holds no interest in any of the securities or entities mentioned above.