In reversal, Taylor Swift to stream only on Apple

Pop superstar Taylor Swift said Thursday she would stream her latest album exclusively on Apple, capping an 180-degree shift after she threatened a boycott.

Swift on Sunday issued an open protest to Apple over compensation to artists on its upcoming streaming service, leading the tech giant to reverse course and step up payments.

In response, the 25-year-old singer, who had initially threatened a boycott, said Thursday that she would stream her blockbuster album "1989" on Apple Music exclusively.

"This is simply the first time it's felt right in my gut to stream my album. Thank you, Apple, for your change of heart," Swift wrote on Twitter.

The big loser in Swift's reconciliation with Apple stands to be Spotify, the leader in the booming sector of streaming which offers unlimited, on-demand music.

Swift last year pulled her entire catalog from Spotify, angry at the Swedish company's free tier supported by advertising.

The pop star streams most of her work on rival platforms such as Google Play and rap mogul Jay-Z's Tidal, but until now not "1989," which has been by far the best-selling US album of the past year.

Swift insisted that she had not entered any special deal with Apple -- which holds power in the music industry by running iTunes.

"In case you're wondering if this is some exclusive deal like you've seen Apple do with other artists, it's not," she tweeted.

Swift had initially lashed out at Apple for not paying royalties to artists for streams during customers' three-month trial periods.

A senior Apple executive within hours called Swift, who was in Amsterdam on a tour, and said the company would compensate for songs at all stages of streaming.