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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Beats has launched its much-rumored Beats Music streaming service and app, directly competing with other services like Pandora, Spotify, Rdio and Apple's iTunes Radio.

beatsmusic.jpg
We wanted to build a music service that combined the freedom of an on-demand subscription service - unlimited, uninterrupted streaming and downloads of tens of millions of songs - but layer on top features that would give you that feeling only music that moves you can give. The right song at the right time will give you a chill. Make you pull someone close. Nod your head. Sing in the mirror. Roll down the car window and crank the volume to the right.
The service is heavily built on curation, with Beats hiring music experts from publications like Pitchfork and DJs from some of the most listened to radio stations around the country to curate stations, playlists and to make sure the music catalog of 20 million songs allows for "great listening choices".

Users can simply open the app and "hit play" to start streaming music, or they can use one of the curation-based features. "Right Now" allows users to input where they are, what they're doing, who they're with and what they want to listen to and the service creates and endless playlist to match that mood. "Highlights" allows users to stay up-to-date with the music world by following Beats Music's programmer picks.

Similarly to Spotify, users can also create and share playlists with all their friends. They can also download "hundreds of albums" for offline listening.

Back in March of 2013, Beats CEO Jimmy Iovine revealed that he had met with Apple executives, including CEO Tim Cook and SVP of Internet Services Eddy Cue about the music service. Specifically, the Apple executives expressed interest in the service's "business model and plans".

Beats Music is $9.99 a month for unlimited streaming, unlimited album downloads for offline streaming and no ads, although AT&T customers can get the service for their entire family for $14.99 a month.

Beats Music is a free download available on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Update: Due to high traffic, Beats Music has been experiencing some issues. As a result, the company has decided to stop allowing new signups until its traffic problems are resolved. Because of the blip, Beats Music is rewarding all users who register during this week with an additional 7 day trial period.

Article Link: Beats Launches 'Beats Music' Streaming Service and App
 

japanime

macrumors 68030
Feb 27, 2006
2,916
4,844
Japan
I love iTunes! BFF!

You forgot to say "FIRST!" :p

Back on topic, I wonder if the proliferation of these streaming services are going to continue to make it more and more difficult for musicians to make a living.

There have already been several stories about how Spotify pays indie artists just fractions of a cent each time one of their songs in streamed. I can't imagine any of these newer services are going to be offering a whole lot more.
 

ArtOfWarfare

macrumors G3
Nov 26, 2007
9,544
6,042
You forgot to say "FIRST!" :p

Back on topic, I wonder if the proliferation of these streaming services are going to continue to make it more and more difficult for musicians to make a living.

There have already been several stories about how Spotify pays indie artists just fractions of a cent each time one of their songs in streamed. I can't imagine any of these newer services are going to be offering a whole lot more.

In the long run, I see pay-per-play working out better for the higher quality musicians. If I listen to your album 150 times in 5 years, you'll get $25 or so from my listening, whereas if I'd bought your album outright, you would have made just $5 or so (assuming you get a good cut from your publisher.) If you make the hit of the month single and I listen to it 60 times before I'm sick of it, you make a dime from me. So focus on making a lot of great music that I'll enjoy for years - not some catchy single that I'll listen to twice a day for a month.
 

japanime

macrumors 68030
Feb 27, 2006
2,916
4,844
Japan
In the long run, I see pay-per-play working out better for the higher quality musicians. If I listen to your album 150 times in 5 years, you'll get $25 or so from my listening, whereas if I'd bought your album outright, you would have made just $5 or so (assuming you get a good cut from your publisher.) If you make the hit of the month single and I listen to it 60 times before I'm sick of it, you make a dime from me. So focus on making a lot of great music that I'll enjoy for years - not some catchy single that I'll listen to twice a day for a month.

I hope you're right, and that's how it eventually ends up working.

Unfortunately, right now the services pay major labels a much higher per-song rate than what they pay indie labels. So, it's not always a matter of simply making great music.
 

Nevaborn

macrumors 65816
Aug 30, 2013
1,086
327
It's getting pretty crowded in the music-streaming business. 'Beats' needs a killer feature or an amazing algorithm, or the odds are stacked against them succeeding with this launch.

But I wish them well; competition can only benefit us consumers.

Not true.

The more rampant the competition the more each will try to get a hook on the market, this leads to exclusives which iTunes tends to get tbh. the more people that come in to the music market the more companies will try to get things to make you use them. This will hurt consumers as a whole.
 

shinji

macrumors 65816
Mar 18, 2007
1,329
1,515
They need to distinguish themselves over Spotify some way other than the AT&T family deal, which many people don't care about.
 

andrew1995

macrumors regular
Sep 28, 2013
192
47
Beats should've done a free subscription (no downloads, no ads.) for owners of beats headphones.
 

lk400

macrumors 65816
Aug 26, 2012
1,047
625
In the long run, I see pay-per-play working out better for the higher quality musicians. If I listen to your album 150 times in 5 years, you'll get $25 or so from my listening, whereas if I'd bought your album outright, you would have made just $5 or so (assuming you get a good cut from your publisher.) If you make the hit of the month single and I listen to it 60 times before I'm sick of it, you make a dime from me. So focus on making a lot of great music that I'll enjoy for years - not some catchy single that I'll listen to twice a day for a month.

Id say your listening habits are unique, or from a very different generation to me. I have some favorite, time honored albums (in vinyl, CD and digital format) that ill dust off just a few times in a year - when the time is right. I love those albums, and they are some of my favorite, but there is no way I could listen to them 150 times a year. I would be lucky to listen to them 150 times in a decade. But I know they are mine, they are there when I want them.

Streaming, for me, can never replace that. Also, streaming, for me, would not give those artists their fair payment for their excellent music.

----------

Beats should've done a free subscription (no downloads, no ads.) for owners of beats headphones.

Or at least a free year for those people. Get them onboard, setting up stations and such because it is free, and then they are less likely to give it up at the end of the year. How sensible that sounds shows how little they are willing to give away.
 

andrew1995

macrumors regular
Sep 28, 2013
192
47
Id say your listening habits are unique, or from a very different generation to me. I have some favorite, time honored albums (in vinyl, CD and digital format) that ill dust off just a few times in a year - when the time is right. I love those albums, and they are some of my favorite, but there is no way I could listen to them 150 times a year. I would be lucky to listen to them 150 times in a decade. But I know they are mine, they are there when I want them.

Streaming, for me, can never replace that. Also, streaming, for me, would not give those artists their fair payment for their excellent music.

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Or at least a free year for those people. Get them onboard, setting up stations and such because it is free, and then they are less likely to give it up at the end of the year. How sensible that sounds shows how little they are willing to give away.

Yes! Either way would work well. I think my idea was actually pretty good. Beats are already quite popular, I think it'd only help sales of both beats products and subscriptions.
 

silvetti

macrumors 6502a
Nov 24, 2011
952
376
Poland
Another US only service that won't go far...

Same as Rdio... they are now moving to Europe but it's too late, the market is owned by Spotify.

Why is Spotify so successful ? It was launched first outside US :D
 

roadbloc

macrumors G3
Aug 24, 2009
8,784
215
UK
It's getting pretty crowded in the music-streaming business. 'Beats' needs a killer feature or an amazing algorithm, or the odds are stacked against them succeeding with this launch.

Well... they have this guy... Surely they can make him a killer feature of sorts.

dr-dre.jpg
 

g-7

macrumors 6502
Feb 14, 2006
403
100
Poland
"The item you've requested is not currently available in the Polish Store."

Yeah, again.
 

mazz0

macrumors 68040
Mar 23, 2011
3,117
3,564
Leeds, UK
"Roll down the car window and crank the volume to the right."

So it's aimed at complete ****ers then?
 

barkmonster

macrumors 68020
Dec 3, 2001
2,134
15
Lancashire
Whenever I see a fashion victim with beats headphones, I think, "There's someone who used to have the money to buy a decent set of Sennheisers, what a tool!"

Yet, whenever I'm walking round town in my HD25s because I broke my iPhone earphones and I'm a bit skint at the moment, some fashion victim will make a comment like, "look at that jerk in the DJ headphones" :D

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Finally, a streaming app even chavs can enjoy

It'll probably have a 24/7 channel called "Boy Racer FM" where it just plays DJ Ear-rape and MC Tourettes Syndrome "Anthems" from the hardcore rave scene and vapid, bragging, worthless Retards Attempting Poetry and R&B (That isn't Rhythm & Blues) garbage. And they'll absoluely love it, like they love 3 litre bottles of white cider because they're chavs.
 

b33g33

macrumors member
Jun 1, 2012
31
0
The Beats service isn't an 'all new', 'gimmicky' thing as some people seem to think in their comments.

Beats bought MOG about a year ago. I've been using MOG for almost 2 years now and consider the service superior to Spotify, Rdio and iTunes Radio for several reasons (in order of priority for Me)

1. Excellent in-car integration with BMW/MINI (No one else comes close).
2. Entire music catalog is in 320k
3. Unlimited offline downloads (No internet connection required for offline play)
4. Unlimited devices (I've got MOG on 6 devices using the same login)

I am a little concerned about the transition because they are getting AT&T involved in the new subscription plans. Not quite sure I understand the new pricing and the benefits of the individual ($9.99 - same as MOG) and the "family" ($14.99) plans either. They are offering a month free to existing MOG users, so I'll test it out before I decide either way.

I do agree with the comments about the Beats headphones though. The only people dumber are the ones who buy Bose products.
 

lewismayell

macrumors 6502a
Mar 24, 2013
611
21
South West England
Whenever I see a fashion victim with beats headphones, I think, "There's someone who used to have the money to buy a decent set of Sennheisers, what a tool!"

Yet, whenever I'm walking round town in my HD25s because I broke my iPhone earphones and I'm a bit skint at the moment, some fashion victim will make a comment like, "look at that jerk in the DJ headphones" :D

----------



It'll probably have a 24/7 channel called "Boy Racer FM" where it just plays DJ Ear-rape and MC Tourettes Syndrome "Anthems" from the hardcore rave scene and vapid, bragging, worthless Retards Attempting Poetry and R&B (That isn't Rhythm & Blues) garbage. And they'll absoluely love it, like they love 3 litre bottles of white cider because they're chavs.

Hahahahaha, bang bang
 
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