Will she or won’t she?

As the music world awaits the release of Taylor Swift’s new album, “Reputation,” on Friday, the industry has been preoccupied with a guessing game: Will it be immediately available on streaming services?

With streaming now contributing nearly two-thirds of the revenue of the recording industry in the United States, few artists would even consider withholding their music from outlets like Spotify and Apple Music.

Yet as the release date for “Reputation” approached, four executives at major streaming services said they did not expect the album to be made available for streaming, at least at first. But those executives, who spoke anonymously to protect private negotiations, said that plans could change at any time.

When Ms. Swift released her last album, “1989,” three years ago, streaming was still an unproven format, and the defiant stances she took against Spotify and Apple over royalties and control were hailed as heroic wins for artists’ rights.