{"id":6555,"date":"2026-08-20T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/?p=6555"},"modified":"2026-08-17T10:04:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T08:04:25","slug":"when-u2-forced-the-world-to-listen-to-their-new-album-and-failed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/when-u2-forced-the-world-to-listen-to-their-new-album-and-failed\/","title":{"rendered":"When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album&#8230;and failed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No one likes being forced to do anything. No one. Yet, in 2014, that is exactly what happened to <a href=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/apple-music\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Apple Music<\/a> users, <strong>who found a new U2 album automatically added to their libraries<\/strong>\u2014without having to lift a finger. It is a story that still sparks conversation, symbolizing a bygone era of music streaming and revealing much about the opportunities and pitfalls of the digital age. When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album: join us for the story!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Design-sans-titre-7.png\" alt=\"When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album\" class=\"wp-image-6640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Design-sans-titre-7.png 800w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Design-sans-titre-7-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Design-sans-titre-7-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-estimated-reading-time yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-icon=\"clock\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" style=\"display:inline-block;vertical-align:-0.1em\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 8v4l3 3m6-3a9 9 0 11-18 0 9 9 0 0118 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:1em\"><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time: <\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">9<\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f3f0fa;border-left:4px solid #9373d8;padding:16px 20px;border-radius:6px;margin-bottom:32px;font-family:'Open Sans',sans-serif;\">\n  <h2 style=\"margin:0 0 12px 0;font-size:14px;font-weight:600;color:#9373d8;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.5px;\">Key takeaways<\/h2>\n  <ul style=\"margin:0 0 16px 0 !important;padding:0 0 0 18px !important;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;color:#9373d8;\">\n    <li style=\"margin:0 0 8px 0 !important;padding:0 !important;\"><span style=\"color:#32373c;\">In 2014, U2 and Apple partnered to automatically add <em>Songs of Innocence<\/em> to the iTunes libraries of millions of users as a promotional move tied to the iPhone 6 launch.<\/span><\/li>\n    <li style=\"margin:0 0 8px 0 !important;padding:0 !important;\"><span style=\"color:#32373c;\">The forced U2 album release reached an estimated 500 million users, but triggered widespread backlash because people had not chosen to receive the album.<\/span><\/li>\n    <li style=\"margin:0 0 8px 0 !important;padding:0 !important;\"><span style=\"color:#32373c;\">The U2 album giveaway became a public relations disaster, raising concerns about unwanted content, the value of music, and how much control streaming platforms have over users&#8217; libraries.<\/span><\/li>\n    <li style=\"margin:0 !important;padding:0 !important;\"><span style=\"color:#32373c;\">Bono later apologized and took responsibility for the controversial promotion, which remains a defining example of the pitfalls of digital music marketing.<\/span><\/li>\n  <\/ul>\n  <p style=\"margin:0;font-size:12px;color:#666;font-style:italic;\">AI-generated summary<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-when-u2-forced-the-world-to-listen-to-their-new-album-the-context\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album: the context<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the early 2010s, U2 found themselves in a difficult spot. Their previous album, <em>No Line on the Horizon<\/em>, had been a commercial letdown; for one of the world&#8217;s most famous bands, <strong>the sales figures were disappointing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They weren&#8217;t alone in this predicament: the music industry was at a historic turning point. <a href=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/the-history-of-music-streaming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Piracy was wreaking havoc<\/a>, dragging labels and artists alike into a downward spiral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U2 tried various approaches, toyed with concepts that were ultimately scrapped. They worked with a multitude of producers before teaming up with Danger Mouse for a new album they intended to call <em>Songs of Innocence<\/em>. <strong>Several entire albums were discarded before they reached the final result.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-145530-1-1024x576.png\" alt=\"When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album\" class=\"wp-image-6646\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-145530-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-145530-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-145530-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-145530-1.png 1427w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The band experimented, made mistakes, and started over, eventually arriving at a collection of songs they believed <strong>could live up to their past successes. <\/strong>They needed a hit; there was no room for error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To boost their chances of success, they agreed to make concessions to the modern era. Music streaming\u2014initially hailed as a lifeline following <a href=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/the-history-of-apple-music\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the launch of iTunes in 2003<\/a>\u2014was once again being presented as a savior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-a-deep-relationship\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">A deep relationship<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As it happened, Apple CEO Tim Cook was a fan of U2&#8217;s music. What&#8217;s more, he once described U2 as his favorite band. Never one to miss a business opportunity, Tim Cook\u2014back in 2004, as U2 prepared to release a new album and needed to bounce back from the failure of their previous one\u2014<strong>saw a chance to kill two birds with one stone.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The iPhone 6 was about to launch, and <a href=\"https:\/\/offers.applemusic.apple\/offer?app=music&amp;at=11lt62&amp;ct=blog&amp;ls=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Apple<\/a> was, naturally, positioning it as a minor revolution in mobile technology. <strong>And mobile technology goes hand in hand with music streaming<\/strong>. Music consumption was increasingly shifting to digital formats. After initially being reluctant to embrace digital listening\u2014like many other artists\u2014U2 realized that this was the future and that it would be unwise not to get on board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"556\" src=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-150001-1-1024x556.png\" alt=\"When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album\" class=\"wp-image-6645\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-150001-1-1024x556.png 1024w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-150001-1-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-150001-1-768x417.png 768w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-150001-1-1536x834.png 1536w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-150001-1.png 1586w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tim Cook then proposed an idea. To demonstrate the iPhone&#8217;s ability to digitize everything and to give iTunes a significant boost, he thought it would be smart to tie the release of U2&#8217;s new album to the launch of the iPhone 6. <strong>The plan? Automatically upload the new record to the iTunes libraries of every user of the service<\/strong>\u2014without them having to lift a finger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It had never been done before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But what might have seemed like an innovative concept turned out to be an absolute disaster\u2014<strong>one that would haunt both U2 and <a href=\"https:\/\/offers.applemusic.apple\/offer?app=music&amp;at=11lt62&amp;ct=blog&amp;ls=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Apple<\/a> for years to come.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-when-u2-forced-the-world-to-listen-to-their-new-album-what-really-happened\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album: what really happened?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Picture this: you&#8217;re at home, relaxing. You get up and start scrolling through your streaming platform\u2014just like any other day\u2014looking for new releases or a playlist to soundtrack your morning. And then, a surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You spot something that shouldn&#8217;t be there\u2014or at least, something that isn&#8217;t part of anything you&#8217;ve liked, followed, or downloaded. <strong>An album by a band you don&#8217;t listen to<\/strong>, appearing as if by magic, without you ever having chosen it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is exactly what happened to millions of users in 2014 when U2&#8217;s album <em>Songs of Innocence<\/em> appeared in the iTunes libraries on their iPhones and iPods. <strong>It is estimated that a total of 500 million users<\/strong>\u2014500 million, you read that right\u2014saw the new U2 album pop up in their libraries. A staggering figure. And a promotional campaign of unprecedented scale. Tim Cook even went so far as to call it the &#8220;largest album release of all time.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/600x600.jpg\" alt=\"When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album\" class=\"wp-image-6642\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/600x600-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/600x600-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/apple-free-u2-album-bono-fault\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">One internet user<\/a> even joked on social media after spotting the album in their library: &#8220;Woke up this morning to find Bono in my kitchen, drinking my coffee, wearing my dressing gown, reading my paper.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/apples-100-million-u2-debacle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Another chimed in<\/a>: &#8220;Apple owes me a new iPhone, because I had to purify this one with fire after finding a U2 album on it.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Rapper Tyler, The Creator<\/strong> felt much the same way. He stated<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/tech\/free-u2-album-how-the-most-generous-giveaway-in-music-history-turned-into-a-pr-disaster-9745028.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> that seeing the album on his iPhone was<\/a> &#8220;like waking up with a pimple or like herpes\u2026 Fuck Bono. I didn&#8217;t ask for you, I&#8217;m mad.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-bad-idea\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bad idea!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U2 album was uploaded on September 9, 2014, while the band was performing at the iPhone 6 launch event. The idea seemed sound, especially since the album was being offered to iTunes users for free.<strong> Tim Cook and U2 were confident in the move&#8217;s benefits<\/strong>: how could anyone turn down a free album? Surely, everyone would be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For U2, giving away the album without financial return wasn&#8217;t an issue. <strong>It was intended to serve as a promotional tool for their upcoming world tour<\/strong>, which was expected to generate millions of dollars. Bono, the band&#8217;s frontman, also viewed it as a first step toward an exclusive subscription model where fans could enjoy special perks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" src=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2017_u2_AntonCorbijn_291117-696x442-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6643\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2017_u2_AntonCorbijn_291117-696x442-1.jpg 696w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2017_u2_AntonCorbijn_291117-696x442-1-300x191.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Apple, partnering with one of the world&#8217;s most famous bands was a powerful marketing move. <strong>And proof that the company remained at the forefront of trends.<\/strong> However, <a href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/2022\/10\/24\/tim-cook-said-free-u2-album-itunes-was-not-right\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reports suggest that Tim Cook<\/a> was initially reluctant. The very purpose of iTunes had been to combat piracy and place value on music. Not to give it away for free. Yet, he was eventually persuaded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But what promised to be a joint success for the band and the tech giant <strong>turned out to be a major debacle.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The kind that lingers in people&#8217;s memories for years and forces those involved to offer profuse apologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-when-u2-forced-the-world-to-listen-to-their-new-album-the-consequences\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album: the consequences<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The consequences? A public relations disaster, for starters. Countless people were offended to see an album they would have never have listened to appear in their iTunes libraries. To many, it felt like an invasion. It also raised questions about the music streaming model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Have we become passive in our listening habits? <strong>Are we at the mercy of the streaming platforms we choose to use?<\/strong> If Apple can force an album into my music library, where do they draw the line? Just how far can companies go?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following the release, fans and the media were up in arms. Established artists felt the move devalued music. The trend of free content\u2014increasingly common since the advent of streaming\u2014<strong>was seen by some as a step in the wrong direction, implying that certain works have no inherent value. <\/strong>And if some things are free, why pay for others?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/u2.jpg\" alt=\"When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album\" class=\"wp-image-6644\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/u2.jpg 620w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/u2-300x194.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Newspapers <a href=\"https:\/\/stereogum.com\/1705373\/apple-launches-u2-removal-website\/news\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">like the Washington Post<\/a> described the operation as &#8220;dystopian junk mail&#8221;. A sign of new technologies leading to uncontrollable excesses. <strong>Wired called it &#8220;worse than spam&#8221;<\/strong>\u2014and that was just the tip of the iceberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because there was another problem: the album was difficult to delete from libraries. It was stored in the cloud by default, making it nearly impossible to get rid of. Even if you deleted the songs one by one. iTunes users grew frustrated and impatient. So much so that <strong>Apple was forced to launch a dedicated website explaining how to remove it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The internet erupted, flooded with mockery and annoyed comments. Someone even created <strong>a Tumblr page titled &#8220;Who is U2 and why is it on my phone??!&#8221;<\/strong>. The backlash was total. And the operation proved to be a fiasco\u2014not just for Apple, but for U2 as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-bono-apologizes\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bono apologizes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyond that aspect, the quality of the album was also called into question. Many fans reacted negatively to this new U2 record. For some, it was further proof of the gradual decline of a group that had shown flashes of brilliance in the past. As of 2026, <strong><em>Songs of Innocence<\/em> remains a mixed entry in U2&#8217;s vast discography.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"552\" height=\"372\" src=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-145445.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6648\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-145445.png 552w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-145445-300x202.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 552px) 100vw, 552px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his 2022 memoir, Bono even apologized, stating that he alone was responsible for the affair.<strong> It was an admission of weakness<\/strong>\u2014eight years later\u2014and a symbol of the disaster that was this &#8220;forced&#8221; release:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I take full responsibility. Not Guy O, not Edge, not Adam, not Larry, not Tim Cook, not Eddy Cue. I&#8217;d thought if we could just put our music within reach of people, they might choose to reach out toward it. Not quite. As one social media wisecracker put it, &#8216;Woke up this morning to find Bono in my kitchen, drinking my coffee, wearing my dressing gown, reading my paper.&#8217; Or, less kind, &#8216;The free U2 album is overpriced.&#8217; Mea culpa.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During a Facebook Live session, Bono went even further: he admitted the operation was megalomaniacal. He apologized to a user who felt it was rude to impose their music in such a way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-145618-1-1024x600.png\" alt=\"When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album\" class=\"wp-image-6647\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-145618-1-1024x600.png 1024w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-145618-1-300x176.png 300w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-145618-1-768x450.png 768w, https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Capture-decran-2026-07-28-145618-1.png 1332w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He described the whole thing as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;A drop of megalomania, a touch of generosity, a dash of self-promotion and deep fear that these songs that we poured our life into over the last few years mightn&#8217;t be heard.&#8221; <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Is a confessed fault half-forgiven? While none of this is exactly earth-shattering, this type of promotion will certainly never be repeated. At the very least, this partnership between Apple and a music group has served to <strong>highlight the problematic practices within the music streaming world.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It serves as a reminder that we\u2014as paying subscribers to these platforms\u2014<strong>do not have total control over the music we want to listen to<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>No one likes being forced to do anything. No one. Yet, in 2014, that is exactly what happened to Apple Music users, who found a new U2 album automatically added to their libraries\u2014without having to lift a finger. It is a story that still sparks conversation, symbolizing a bygone era of music streaming and revealing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6639,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[140,336,495,494],"class_list":["post-6555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-apple-music-2","tag-piracy","tag-streaming-world","tag-us","wpbf-post"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.1 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album...and failed - Soundiiz Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/when-u2-forced-the-world-to-listen-to-their-new-album-and-failed\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album...and failed\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/when-u2-forced-the-world-to-listen-to-their-new-album-and-failed\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Soundiiz Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Soundiiz\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-20T16:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/soundiiz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Design-sans-titre-6.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"450\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Nicolas Rog\u00e8s\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@NicolasRoges\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Soundiiz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Nicolas Rog\u00e8s\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soundiiz.com\\\/blog\\\/when-u2-forced-the-world-to-listen-to-their-new-album-and-failed\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soundiiz.com\\\/blog\\\/when-u2-forced-the-world-to-listen-to-their-new-album-and-failed\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Nicolas Rog\u00e8s\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soundiiz.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cbcbe38b26afedd4684fb12c05eb2fe5\"},\"headline\":\"When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album&#8230;and failed\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-20T16:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soundiiz.com\\\/blog\\\/when-u2-forced-the-world-to-listen-to-their-new-album-and-failed\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1752,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soundiiz.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soundiiz.com\\\/blog\\\/when-u2-forced-the-world-to-listen-to-their-new-album-and-failed\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soundiiz.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/Design-sans-titre-6.png\",\"keywords\":[\"apple music\",\"piracy\",\"streaming world\",\"US\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soundiiz.com\\\/blog\\\/when-u2-forced-the-world-to-listen-to-their-new-album-and-failed\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soundiiz.com\\\/blog\\\/when-u2-forced-the-world-to-listen-to-their-new-album-and-failed\\\/\",\"name\":\"When U2 forced the world to listen to their new album...and failed - 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