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Apple Music

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Not to be confused with Apple Records.

Apple Music
Pricing model$9.99 / single license
$14.99 / family license
$4.99 / student license
AvailabilityWidely in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, and in parts of Africa and the Middle East
Beats 1
  • Los Angeles
    New York City
    London
Broadcast areaOver 100 countries[2] on devices running iOS, tvOS, watchOS, Android, OS X, and Windows
Programming
FormatFreeform radio, Rhythmic contemporary, Urban contemporary
Ownership
OwnerApple Inc.
History
First air date
June 30, 2015; 9 years ago (2015-06-30)
Links
WebcastiTunes page
iTunes stream
Websiteapple.com/music/radio/
applemusic.tumblr.com/beats1

Apple Music is a music-streaming service, developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing, curated playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio station Beats 1, that broadcasts live to over 100 countries 24 hours a day, and the blog platform Connect, that allows artists to share their posts, photos, videos, and tracks with subscribers. Apple Music provides music recommendations based on a user's taste, and the iOS application is integrated with Siri voice commands. The service was announced on June 8, 2015, and launched on June 30, in over 100 countries worldwide. New subscribers get a 3-month free trial, before the service becomes paid-only.[3]

Apple Music faces direct competition from other, similar music streaming services, including Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, Google Play Music. Apple Music has managed to distance itself from other services with exclusive content,[4] integration with Siri voice commands,[3] and high-profile advertising.[5][6]

As of September 2016, Apple Music has 17 million subscribers.[7]

Overview

Apple Inc. sent out a press release on June 8, 2015, that their music streaming service, Apple Music, would launch worldwide on June 30. The press release included details on the service's features; Apple Music, which lets users to select music to stream to their device on-demand or use an already-existing playlist curated by "music experts"; Beats 1, the service's 24-hour radio station led by DJ Zane Lowe that broadcasts in over 100 countries; and Connect, which allows artists to share "lyrics, backstage photos, videos or even release their latest song directly to fans directly from their iPhone". The press release also contained information on pricing and availability; starting June 30, "music fans around the world are invited to a 3-month free membership", after which the service will have a monthly subscription cost, which, for individual plans in the United States and Canada's Price is set to $9.99, Australia's Price $11.99, UK's Price £9.99, Europe's Price €9.99 and for family plans US $14.99, Australia's Price $17.99, UK's Price £14.99, Europe's Price €14.99, of up to 6 people.[3]

The Apple Music app has several tabs. The "For You" section recommends music for the user. Human expert selections supplement the algorithmic curation. Every user has a "My Music" section that shows both purchased songs and tracks available for streaming. "Radio" incorporates some aspects of iTunes Radio, such as ad-supported stations that play genre-specific or artist-related music, depending on the user's preferences.

History

Preparation

Before Apple Music, the company's iPod and iTunes were known for having "revolutionized digital music".[8] Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs was known to be opposed to the idea of music subscription services. When Apple bought audio equipment maker Beats Electronics in 2014, Apple gained ownership of Beats' own service Beats Music,[9] and made Beats Music CEO Ian Rogers responsible for the iTunes Radio service.[10] Business Insider later reported that Apple was planning to merge the two services together. Apple also hired noted British radio DJ Zane Lowe to serve as a music curator.[11]

After a period of rumors and anticipation, Sony Music CEO Doug Morris confirmed on June 7, 2015 that Apple had plans to announce a music streaming service, saying "It's happening tomorrow",[12] with launch later in the month.[3] Morris emphasized several times that he prefers paid streaming as opposed to ad-supported, from a financial perspective. Furthermore, Morris said he expects the service to be the "tipping point" to accelerate the growth of streaming, along with arguing that Apple has "$178 billion dollars in the bank. And they have 800 million credit cards in iTunes." as opposed to Spotify, which "never really advertised because it’s never been profitable". Morris further argued that "Apple will promote this like crazy and I think that will have a halo effect on the streaming business. A rising tide will lift all boats. It's the beginning of an amazing moment for our industry".[12]

Royalty payment policy

Shortly before Apple Music was released, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift wrote an open letter publicly criticizing Apple's decision to not reimburse artists during a user's 3-month free trial period and announced that she would be holding back her album 1989 from the service.[13] She said the policy was "unfair" as "Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months". UK independent record label Beggars Group also criticized the 3-month trial period, saying it struggled "to see why rights owners and artists should bear this aspect of Apple's customer acquisition costs".[14][15]

The day after Swift's letter, Apple's Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue announced on Twitter that Apple had changed its policy, and that Apple Music "will pay artist for streaming, even during customer's free trial period".[16][17] On Twitter, Swift wrote "After the events of this week, I've decided to put 1989 on Apple Music... And happily so". She concluded saying it was "the first time it's felt right in my gut to stream my album".[18]

Record label cartel

In negotiations with record labels for the new service, Apple allegedly attempted to encourage record labels to pull their content from the free, ad-supported tiers of competing services such as Spotify in order to drive adoption of Apple Music, and offered an incentive to Universal Music Group to pull its content from YouTube. The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation into this alleged cartel in May 2015.[19][20]

Announcement and launch

The announcement happened as the signature "one more thing..." reveal at Apple's conference.[21] Hip hop artist Drake appeared onstage at the announcement event to elaborate on how he used the Connect platform, and Apple subsequently emphasized how "unsigned artists can share their music on Connect, too", in contrast to the iTunes Store, where small, independent artists were finding it difficult to participate.[21]

Apple Music is available in over 100 countries
Global availability of Apple Music

Apple Music launched on June 30, 2015, in 100 countries. New users receive a 3-month trial subscription, which changes to a monthly fee after 3 months. A family plan allows six users to share a subscription at a reduced rate.[3] Apple originally sought to enter the market at a lower price point for the service, but the music industry rejected the plan.[8] The service debuted as an updated Music app on the iOS 8.4 update. Apple TV and Android device support was planned for a "fall" 2015 launch.[21] A previously unreleased song by Pharrell Williams, entitled "Freedom", was used in promotional material and has been announced as an exclusive release on the launch of the service.[22] The "History of Sound" advert for the launch of the Apple Music service was soundtracked by the tune There Is No Light by Wildbirds & Peacedrums, from their 2009 album The Snake.[23] Upon its launch, Beats Music subscriptions and playlists were migrated to Apple Music, and the service was discontinued.[24]

In November 2015, Apple launched the Android version of Apple Music, touted by reporters as Apple's first "real" or "user-centric" Android app.[25][26]

On August 2, 2016, Bloomberg L.P. announced that its Bloomberg Radio service is now available on Apple Music in over 100 countries around the world, including the United States, Germany, Hong Kong, and Japan.[27] Bloomberg Radio features global business and financial news coverage from top Bloomberg journalists 24 hours a day. Regularly scheduled shows include The Bloomberg Advantage, Taking Stock, Bloomberg Law, and more.[28]

In September 2016, Apple began rolling out new, personalized music playlists called “My New Music Mix” to Apple Music subscribers as a direct challenge to Spotify's "Discover Weekly" playlist. [29]

Growth

In January 2016, Apple Music reached 10 million paying subscribers, six months after launching,[30] which increased to 11 million subscribers in February,[31] and 13 million in April.[32]

In February 2016, Apple Music was available in a total of 113 countries, reaching many areas of the world where competing music streaming services not yet covered.[33]

In June 2016, Apple announced at their Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) that Apple Music had passed 15 million paid subscribers.[34]

On August 3, 2016, Apple Music was launched in Israel with the individual plan priced at 19.90 ILS (US$5.21) per month, and the a family plan priced 29.90 ILS (US$7.83), this price point puts Apple Music in line with existing streaming services in the country provided by Pelephone Musix.[35] Apple Music's 3-month free trial is available to Israeli users as it is to the rest of the world.

On August 4, 2016, Apple Music expanded service into South Korea. Apple Music's standard 3-month free trial is also available to Korean users. Korean customers can sign-up for the service at US$7.99 a month for individual plans and US$11.99 a month for family plans. This price point makes the service competitive with the already popular Korean music streaming service MelOn.[36]

In September 2016, Apple Music passed 17 million paid subscribers.[7]

Reception

Apple Music received mixed reviews at launch. Among the criticism, reviewers noted the "unintuitive" interface,[37][38] the amount of bugs and battery life problems,[39] and its offline services being contingent on using the iCloud Music Library feature. This feature takes away the ability for the user to sync music locally and has caused chaos for some users' music libraries.[40][41] However, the service was praised for its smart functions. The Verge wrote that the service was similar to its contemporaries in regards to library size and cost.[8] Mashable noted the emphasis on human curation in Apple Music, pointing out the various human curated radio stations and the accuracy of the curated playlists recommended to users in the For Me section. The author concluded saying "[T]he For Me section alone has made me excited about music for the first time in a long time."[42] Ars Technica wrote that Apple's emphasis on unsigned artist participation in Connect could be an effort to restore the company's former reputation as a "tastemaker" in the mid-2000s.[21]

Controversy

Apple Music has been criticized for a vendor lock-in through network effects[43] and DRM-locked downloads.[44][45]

Along with the iCloud Music Library feature, Apple Music has been reported to delete original music from user storage and replace it with a DRM-locked version.[46][47][48][49]

Compatibility

Apple Music is compatible with iOS devices running version 8.4 or later, iTunes version 12.2 or later (OS X Mavericks or later; Windows 7 or later), and the Apple Watch. It received a release for Android devices and Apple TV on November 10, 2015. Access to Apple Music's live streams requires users to log in from an IP address originating from a supported country.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Introducing Apple Music — All The Ways You Love Music. All in One Place". Apple Inc. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  2. ^ "Availability of Apple Music, Apple Music Radio, and iTunes Match". apple.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Introducing Apple Music — All The Ways You Love Music. All in One Place". June 8, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  4. ^ D'Orazio, Dante (December 20, 2015). "Taylor Swift's 1989 World Tour documentary is now streaming on Apple Music". The Verge. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  5. ^ Tiffany, Kaitlyn (April 1, 2016). "Taylor Swift's Apple Music ad is painful in a couple ways". The Verge. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  6. ^ Cox, Jamieson (April 18, 2016). "Taylor Swift is an emo queen in her new Apple Music ad". The Verge. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Solsman, Joan (September 8, 2016). "Apple Music hits 17 million subscribers". CNET. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  8. ^ a b c Popper, Ben; Singleton, Micah (June 8, 2015). "Apple announces its streaming music service, Apple Music". Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  9. ^ "Apple Paying Less Than $500 Million for Beats Music Streaming Service". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  10. ^ "With Apple-Beats Deal Complete, Ian Rogers To Run iTunes Radio". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  11. ^ "What we're hearing about the new music-streaming service Apple is developing in secret". Business Insider. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  12. ^ a b O'Brien, Chris (June 7, 2015). "Sony Music CEO confirms launch of Apple's music streaming service tomorrow". Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  13. ^ Swift, Taylor (June 21, 2015). "Taylor Swift – To Apple, Love Taylor". Tumblr. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  14. ^ "With regards to Apple Music..." Beggars Group. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  15. ^ "Taylor Swift pulls 1989 album from Apple Music". BBC News. June 21, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  16. ^ "Apple Music changes policy after Taylor Swift stand". BBC News. June 22, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  17. ^ Halperin, Shirley (June 21, 2015). "Apple Changes Course After Taylor Swift Open Letter: Will Pay Labels During Free Trial". Billboard. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  18. ^ Rosen, Christopher (June 25, 2015). "Taylor Swift is putting 1989 on Apple Music". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  19. ^ "Big Music Labels Want to Make Free Music Hard to Get, and Apple Says They're Right". Re/code. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  20. ^ "Apple pushing music labels to kill free Spotify streaming ahead of Beats relaunch". The Verge. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  21. ^ a b c d Machkovech, Sam (June 8, 2015). "Apple Music is "the next chapter in music," debuts June 30". Ars Technica. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  22. ^ McIntyre, Hugh (June 25, 2015). "Pharrell's New Single 'Freedom' Will Serve As Apple Music's First Exclusive". Forbes.
  23. ^ "Wildbirds & Peacedrums soundtrack Apple Music launch". The Leaf Label. June 8, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  24. ^ "Beats Music Tells Users To Switch To Apple Music". TechCrunch. AOL Inc. (Verizon Communications). Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  25. ^ Kastrenakes, Jacob (November 10, 2015). "Apple Music launches on Android". The Verge. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  26. ^ Panzarino, Matthew (November 10, 2015). "Apple Music Comes To Android As An Emissary". TechCrunch. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  27. ^ "Business and Financial News Leader Bloomberg Radio Featured on Apple Music in 100 Countries". Bloomberg L.P. August 2, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  28. ^ Clover, Juli. "Bloomberg Radio Comes to Apple Music in 120 Countries". Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  29. ^ By Sarah Perez, TechCrunch. “Apple rolls out its new, personalized playlists to Apple Music subscribers on iOS, macOS betas.” September 5, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  30. ^ Addady, Michal (January 11, 2016). "Apple Music Just Did in Six Months What Took Spotify Six Years". Fortune. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  31. ^ O'Kane, Sean (February 12, 2016). "Apple Music now has over 11 million subscribers". The Verge. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  32. ^ Singleton, Micah (April 26, 2016). "Apple Music now has 13 million subscribers". The Verge. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  33. ^ Ingham, Tim (February 8, 2016). "Apple Music is now available in 59 countries that Spotify is not". Music Business Worldwide.
  34. ^ Hassan, Charlotte (June 13, 2016). "Breaking: Apple Music Hits 15 Million Subscribers".
  35. ^ Hardwick, Tim. "Apple Music Launches in Israel". Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  36. ^ Sumra, Husain. "Apple Music Launches in South Korea". Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  37. ^ Kline, Daniel. "Apple Music: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". The Motley Fool. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  38. ^ Heisler, Yoni (July 9, 2015). "Apple Music on iTunes is an embarrassing and confusing mess". Boy Genius Report. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  39. ^ Eadiciccio, Lisa (July 5, 2015). "I ditched Spotify to use Apple Music — and I don't miss it". Business Insider. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  40. ^ Dalrymple, Jim (July 22, 2015). "Apple Music is a nightmare and I'm done with it". The Loop. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  41. ^ Chavez, Ronald (July 23, 2015). "Influential Apple fan trashes Apple Music, calls it a nightmare". Mashable. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  42. ^ Warren, Christina (June 30, 2015). "Apple Music first look: It's all about curation, curation, curation". Mashable. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  43. ^ "Apple Music – Locking Customers In Through Network Effects".
  44. ^ Chris Welch (July 1, 2015). "Apple Music has an iCloud problem". The Verge.
  45. ^ Kirk McElhearn. "The Real Difference Between iTunes Match and iCloud Music Library: DRM". Kirkville.
  46. ^ "Apple Music is quietly deleting songs from hard drives - Apple". @geekdotcom.
  47. ^ "Apple Music's Confusing Deletion Of Songs Is One Reason You Should Back Up Your Files". Consumerist.
  48. ^ Vinod Yalburgi. "Users reporting data loss after activating iCloud Music Library in Apple Music: How to fix". International Business Times UK.
  49. ^ "Users Report Data Loss After Activating iCloud Music Library In Apple Music". WCCFtech.
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