Let's Settle This! (Calling All Detectives)

[Shoful 8,552]

CALLING ALL DETECTIVES, CALLING DICK TRACY!

I think it's time we finally investigate and prove this rumor: Is Madonna back with Warner?

Evidence (so far): 

 - Remastering Music Videos

 - Uploading Maxis onto streaming

 - Potential Biopic team-up?

And my biggest question with the release of the new Like A Prayer maxi, usually at the bottom it says Year of release - YYYY Warner Music Group. But this release says 2021 MARKETED by Warner Music Group.

So these rumors have been going on for almost a year now

LET'S SETTLE THIS

[Andymad 10,362]

What. I thought this was already confirmed.

[lucasciccone 4,221]

14 minutes ago, Shoful said:

And my biggest question with the release of the new Like A Prayer maxi, usually at the bottom it says Year of release - YYYY Warner Music Group. But this release says 2021 MARKETED by Warner Music Group.

 

I think they put the 2021 release date so the album stays at the top of her page and in the "latest release" section, this way gets more exposure and maybe more streaming. I guess they'll fix it and put the original date when the next maxi single comes. But I don't know that, it's just me guessing.

And I don't know if I'm making this up, but weren't all the new maxis released under Rhino (or something like that)? Now all of them says under Warner in Spotify. 
I think there is definitely something going on with Warner and Madonna. They could've remastered her videos and upload her full catalogue way back, but suddenly everything starts to happen when the rumours of her comeback beggins and with the biopic in the way. So...  I wonder if they are planning to do an announcement or something at some point.

[Shoful 8,552]

7 minutes ago, Andymad said:

What. I thought this was already confirmed.

No, stop chugging that Champagne Rose and get a grip girl, we need to Wake Up and figure this out!

4 minutes ago, lucasciccone said:

I think they put the 2021 release date so the album stays at the top of her page and in the "latest release" section, this way gets more exposure and maybe more streaming. I guess they'll fix it and put the original date when the next maxi single comes. But I don't know that, it's just me guessing.

And I don't know if I'm making this up, but weren't all the new maxis released under Rhino (or something like that)? Now all of them says under Warner in Spotify. 
I think there is definitely something going on with Warner and Madonna. They could've remastered her videos and upload her full catalogue way back, but suddenly everything starts to happen when the rumours of her comeback beggins and with the biopic in the way. So...  I wonder if they are planning to do an announcement or something at some point.

Yea the 2021 release date makes sense to me to draw attention but I specifically wanted to point out that it says "MARKETED" by Warner which no other release on her page says that. I never noticed if it said Rhino before but that would be very interesting!!

[RUADJAI 14,943]

That's not what it says on Apple Music. 

[musicinferno 3,683]

What's strange to me is why are they waiting on announcing it? It's practically confirmed now so why wait? Unless Warner is just pushing her old stuff to cash in on the biopic when it's released. 

[deathproof 10,595]

1 hour ago, musicinferno said:

What's strange to me is why are they waiting on announcing it? It's practically confirmed now so why wait? Unless Warner is just pushing her old stuff to cash in on the biopic when it's released. 

Maybe because it’s not confirmed and she’s not back with Warner?

[GhostOrchid 702]

it's not that she's "back" or anything, she is just teaming with them because she has to. they own everything she released 1982-2011 so whether she likes it or not she has to do it if she's looking to have her music permitted to be used in her biopic. plus the streaming, new remasteres, boxsets etc.

And as for her new music she can release it anywhere she pleases, it will be owned by Boy Toy inc. (her) so it will just be a distribution deal, jusf like with Interscope/Live Nation. They don't own any of her music because it was a different kind of contract. As for the next album, can be Warners, can be anybody else it will not matter. She will own the masters and thus be able to take them to any other label later on for re-releases. With her older stuff she is stuck with Warner.

[Guest Nobody Knows Me]

She might not officially sign until she has an album ready. Isn’t that what she did with Interscope?

[Craigypants 15,285]

This is why you hardly ever see a Madonna song on compilations, Its very rare. They need her permission as anything Published under Boy Toy/ Webo Girl Publishing, She gets final say. Plus Agreements have to be reached with LemmonJello [Pat Leoanrd], Thin White Duke [Stuart Price], Stephen Bray [Black Lion Music] and Others unless they have already signed their publishing away Which Probably isn't an Issue for them. She can Licence it To Warner Exclusively Probably Under RHINO as its Nostalgic and alot of Older Material.

Im Guessing Its a Yes/No. Warner Desperately need money. Madonna loves Money, Win, Win. I just wish they would do it Properly. Even The Like A Virgin Album was Digitally Recorded It says so on the Front of the Cover

[captainjay 1,598]

11 hours ago, lucasciccone said:

I think they put the 2021 release date so the album stays at the top of her page and in the "latest release" section, this way gets more exposure and maybe more streaming. I guess they'll fix it and put the original date when the next maxi single comes. But I don't know that, it's just me guessing.

And I don't know if I'm making this up, but weren't all the new maxis released under Rhino (or something like that)? Now all of them says under Warner in Spotify. 
I think there is definitely something going on with Warner and Madonna. They could've remastered her videos and upload her full catalogue way back, but suddenly everything starts to happen when the rumours of her comeback beggins and with the biopic in the way. So...  I wonder if they are planning to do an announcement or something at some point.

On iTunes Canada, the release date is March 21, 1989 and depending on how you filter, by default it is at the bottom of her album listing. If I sort by date, it's where it belongs chronologically.

On the main Madonna page, it does not appear - the first album featured is A Very Special Christmas (omg people sort better).

And it is published by Warner Records 2021. Not marketed by or any other language. 

[Prayer 14,343]

Maybe they're waiting to announce it officially to link it with a new release (the "Madame X Tour" or even a new album) and get the maximum exposure. That's what they did with Prince in 2014: Prince is back with Warner and here are his upcoming two new albums! BAM (Yeah, two albums at the same time, Prince was like that, you know).

I think the 2021 copyright year in "Like A Prayer" digital maxi is because it's not a digital reissue of an old format, but properly a new one, never released like that before in this configuration. But who knows.

[deathproof 10,595]

7 hours ago, GhostOrchid said:

it's not that she's "back" or anything, she is just teaming with them because she has to. they own everything she released 1982-2011 so whether she likes it or not she has to do it if she's looking to have her music permitted to be used in her biopic.

 

[rlittler81 1,601]

Am I right in assuming she owns the masters to MDNA-Madame X but Warners still own Madonna - Celebration? I know with Prince he started to get his masters back shortly before he died but I think it was only once the album was over 30 years old. I seemed to think she owns the post-Warner music (Boy Toy, Inc.) and just licences it to Interscope?

[Prayer 14,343]

19 minutes ago, rlittler81 said:

Am I right in assuming she owns the masters to MDNA-Madame X but Warners still own Madonna - Celebration? I know with Prince he started to get his masters back shortly before he died but I think it was only once the album was over 30 years old. I seemed to think she owns the post-Warner music (Boy Toy, Inc.) and just licences it to Interscope?

Exactly. She owns everything from "MDNA" but it's exclusively licensed to Interscope/Live Nation for distribution (at least for the moment, we don't know if that is for a X number of years, probably it is). That's why Interscope put minimum effort in promoting her: it's not her product anyway, so why spend big amounts of money in promoting it? I'm sure they did the least they could according to their contract with her.

Prince got everything Warner owned back to him as part of his coming back contract in 2014, but that contract included Warner got a exclusive license to distribute. That license expires soon for all the non-soundtrack albums, they will keep "Purple Rain" forever, for instance.

With Madonna, they both could benefit for something like that. She could have started reclaiming her masters back 35 years after each release (that means she could have "Madonna" and "Like A Virgin" already back to her if she wanted to), but maybe they're working or have worked on a extensive contract that both parts can benefit from. And maybe all these new digital single releases and video remasters are part of that before announcing the big news.