Apple Music Now Has Over 10 Million Subscribers After Just 6 Months

[nealh]

Like most I'm unhappy with Apple's music app. Harder to use. So unintuitive.

Personally, I subscribe to Spotify for my son, but I do not think the app is all that great either.

It's sad Apple does not immediately fix their music app. Streaming music is hard for me to get exited as I don't own it and pay on a subscription model is not ideal. But this looks to be the wave of the future, i.e. Netflix

In my humble opinion Apple is often too proud to admit their failings and fix something. I would think fixing the app would be "easy" and a priority.

 

[kuwxman]

Google Music is better IMO. Our office used Pandora forever, but switched to Spotify awhile back. We got tired of hearing the same songs over and over again on their 'radio stations.' For as large as their catalog is, it is pretty ridiculous to hear the same 10-20 songs on repeat all day, every day. I started us on Google Music and we haven't looked back.

 

[Hastings101]

They needed some good news after some of the rumors coming up lol. Apple music is probably the worst streaming service I've used out of Spotify, Google Music, Rhapsody, and Pandora; but that's only due to the weird UI/bugs on the Mac. I'm guessing it's much better on iOS.

 

[MacAddict1978]

These early numbers from the transition from free 3 months to paid should be taken with a grain of salt. Doubtless a lot of people "accidentally" are now paying for it that didn't intend to.

Regardless, I like my Apple Music quite a bit! And I hope they do grow.

You have to also remember, all the Android users are still on their free trials much as IOS users were at launch.

And yeah, it's very easy to forget to cancel, since you have to do it from your iTunes account page. I dont know how many times I said, "Don't forget to cancel that trial of Showtime Anytime...." and how many times I paid for it.

 

[jonnyb098]

N

Wait, so MacRumors is comparing Apple Music's subscribers to Spotify's "paying" subscribers? I shouldn't have expected better.



"some work" to do is an understatement. It sucks, and Spotify blows it away. Expand on "Integration". My BMW works perfectly with Spotify on my iPhone, but not Apple Music. Do you even know what you're talking about?

Before going crazy , stop and think for a minute. Yes your car integration may work better but Apple Music has much better integration for those who have their own library as well as being able to ask Siri to play any song, playlist or album ( also works on many Bluetooth equipped cars perfectly fine). I love how no Spotify user thinks that Siri isn't really useful and would rather dig through menus......but I digress. Also spotifys interface on iPad is pretty dates with the sliding card UI that hasn't been used in years on the iPad.

 

[MacAddict1978]

Google Music is better IMO. Our office used Pandora forever, but switched to Spotify awhile back. We got tired of hearing the same songs over and over again on their 'radio stations.' For as large as their catalog is, it is pretty ridiculous to hear the same 10-20 songs on repeat all day, every day. I started us on Google Music and we haven't looked back.

I love Google Music. I don't think Apple Music is really much different, better, or worse. (I don't care about these stupid curated by human radio stations, its only real differentiating factor). I bailed on iPhone years ago, but still use a mac and atv. In some ways Apple Music might make more sense, but I like what I have. I already have hard downloaded thousands of tracks, tons of playlists, likes and dislikes that it would be an eternity replicating that with another service.

Google music lets me play in a browser too.... so I can truly use it anywhere, even from my XBO.

 

[Rogifan]

It actually is quite different, but you have it backwards, if you think anyone would swap from Spotify to Apple Music. Spotify is far superior to Apple Music.

Whereas Apple is screwing around with Beats One and trying to force people to conform and all listen to the same songs - that is, taking us back to the days of radio - Spotify is bringing us the future with Spotify Discover. They have algorithms that are able to pull crazy obscure stuff out of their collection that is perfectly tailored for you, with uncanny accuracy.

Plus the synchronized lyrics built into Spotify on the desktop are amazing. I hope they bring it to mobile eventually.

Spotify needs to get rid of all the karaoke crap. Who wants to listen to that?

 

[jonnyb098]

Like most I'm unhappy with Apple's music app. Harder to use. So unintuitive.

Personally, I subscribe to Spotify for my son, but I do not think the app is all that great either.

It's sad Apple does not immediately fix their music app. Streaming music is hard for me to get exited as I don't own it and pay on a subscription model is not ideal. But this looks to be the wave of the future, i.e. Netflix

In my humble opinion Apple is often too proud to admit their failings and fix something. I would think fixing the app would be "easy" and a priority.

Spotify mixes mood, genre and activities in one long list on the their main page....not sure how this is a "better" method whereas Apple splits out entire sections you can tap for genre, mood, or activity. All streaming services have a lot to display. I can understand how Spotify can be a little more tap and play but Apple Music actually offers a more nuanced approach for you to drill down however you like into music. Spotify is a really good product but so is Apple Music and 2016 will no doubt be the year of the streaming music battle.

Also I think it's important for people to mention if they're talking desktop apps or mobile. Yes, Spotify has a really solid desktop app but their mobile offering isn't really better than Apple so much that it's just different. And I'm suspecting most are speaking mobile since it's the platform of choice today.

Also those who are using Spotify for free are in for a rude awakening. Spotify will NOT be able to sustain their free business model and will eventually force people to start paying. Another thing that's often overlooked during all these discussions.

 

[iChristos.]

Three things Apple Music needs to get even more subscribers?
1.Separate Apple Music from iTunes.
2. Improvements in UI and performance ( kinda laggy)
3. Pay per year.
Amen

 

[Pman17]

Wow! They're actually making good progress! I pay for the family subscription which is a good value for family members. They could use some improvements to the music app. I'm sure some more favorable updates will arrive in iOS 10. I'm really looking forward to lossless audio.

 

[jonnyb098]

It actually is quite different, but you have it backwards, if you think anyone would swap from Spotify to Apple Music. Spotify is far superior to Apple Music.

Whereas Apple is screwing around with Beats One and trying to force people to conform and all listen to the same songs - that is, taking us back to the days of radio - Spotify is bringing us the future with Spotify Discover. They have algorithms that are able to pull crazy obscure stuff out of their collection that is perfectly tailored for you, with uncanny accuracy.

Plus the synchronized lyrics built into Spotify on the desktop are amazing. I hope they bring it to mobile eventually.

This is all a matter of perspective. Neither service is better more that they're just different from eachother. Also Apple just filed patents for beats 2, 3, 4, 5. Obviously for other genres. They're betting big on people. Even Pandora's amazing algorithms have reached a peak and they need to evolve which is why they announced they're doing an on demand service and purchased Rdio. But for now, Apple has the home field advantage having the default app on millions and millions of phones.

So whether you like Apple Music or not it's an impressive feat to have this many subscribers after 6 months while it's taken Spotify years. Apple has virtually unlimited funds to spend on advertising while Spotify is constantly losing money and has no tv commercials to speak of..........Apple doesn't have to make a large profit to succeed at this. They have tons of cash to sink in and already seeing the cash flowing in. It's pretty much a win win and will be up to Spotify to compete after this year.

 

[Jax44]

Just because they made 10 million users doesn't mean it's any good. That's just the power of default music app, which the first thing any iOS user will see is "Try Apple Music for free".

If Spotify was part of default music app, it would have 100 million users by now.

Sure...

 

[iSunrise]

Cancelled after the trial, because of two reasons. One was the limited streaming rights for various artists/bands that are available in the iTunes Store. Secondly, Apple still only offers only compressed quality.

If Apple would offer lossless, I will subscribe again and will probably never look back.

See Apple? It's so easy to add another customer to your 10 million.

 

[jonnyb098]

Cancelled after the trial, because of two reasons. One was the limited streaming rights for various artists/bands that are available in the iTunes Store. Secondly, Apple still only offers only compressed quality.

If Apple would offer lossless, I will subscribe again and will probably never look back.

See Apple? It's so easy to add another customer to your 10 million.

Then you'll be subscribing again because if you've been reading the news they're bringing HD better than CD audio this year to Apple Music

 

[goron59]

Not bad start. I'm sure it'll be a success for Apple.

However, I went with the free 3 months, during which I suspended my Spotify. Then cancelled the Apple one before paying.

I ended up deciding I didn't need a[nother] paid subscription service at all, instead using the Amazon Music (comes with Prime that I already have) and occasionally buying stuff I'm likely to listen to a lot. Fortunately, the stuff that Amazon doesn't have I generally don't like

+1 on everyone saying the iOS music player is dreadful

 

[djcerla]

Apple Music is clearly going to take over Spotify very soon.

Once you go past some UI problems (and remember Apple Music is very much a newborn), the service is better by leaps and bounds. Better music gets served, and that's the point of a streaming service.

Beats 1 playlists are basically the musical pulse of the planet, like it or not.

 

[jonnyb098]

Apple Music is clearly going to take over Spotify very soon.

Once you go past some UI problems (and remember Apple Music is very much a newborn), the service is better by leaps and bounds. Better music gets served, and that's the point of a streaming service.

Beats 1 playlists are basically the musical pulse of the planet, like it or not.

Yeah it's kind of funny how blinded people are to where this is all going. Spotifys apps were total garbage on mobile till a couple years ago. And Apple has made their mobile apps much better in 6 months though still not great but very much better. Also Apple could basically buy the entire music industry if they wanted to and be the label. It's gonna get very interesting and I hope the competition drives everyone to be better. The free ride on Spotify isn't gonna last since they have yet to turn any kind of profit. If I had to bet on which would be around in 10 years I'm gonna guess Apple Music. I'm still not sure what people are missing from Apple Music that they get from Spotify other than it just being "different" , therefore it being better. This is an exciting time for music and its gonna be fun seeing what happens. Now with Pandora in the mix for a new service this year makes it all the more interesting.

 

[Mike MA]

Half of them don't even know they're subscribed.

Sure, as if they would not recognize being invoiced monthly...

 

[SkydiveGuy]

Yay! Compressed lossy music for $10 a month!
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Yeah I hate what they've done to the Music app, so much so that I've just decided not to bother with music in my phone anymore. I have a couple of albums but between various app glitches and my frustration I just started removing music from the phone.

I hear that. I just bought a standalone DAP (FiiO X5ii) and plan on freeing up a LOT of space on my phone movie it all over to that.
Having content is good, but how about a device that can play it at greater quality.

 

[jonnyb098]

Yay! Compressed lossy music for $10 a month!

Not for long, you obviously don't read the site regularly. Apple Music will offer HD, better than CD quality music this year. If you need anything more Apple nor any other service cares about a few people that want completely lossless music and listen on 10k dollar equipment which is the only way the average user would know the difference between CD and lossless.

 

[Luis Mazza]

Power and features demand a lot of UI compromises, but Apple Music is a great service. There are many bugs to be fixed and improvements to the UI to be made, but I hope they don't get rid of features because of lazy idiots, dumbing down the amazing number of features Apple Music has.
Three areas to improve are better rights management (some ridiculous limitations of artists from the last century) and bugs with album cover from uploaded collections and many other tiny bugs.

 

[Dvda66au]

From someone who actually has used Apple Music and used its features it's quite simple.

If you are playing songs already and you want to hear a different song or songs or album next and then let it resume to what you previously had in the que you select 'add to up next'.

'Play next' is as self explanatory as can be, pick any song or album and it will play after the current song/album is finished, very useful if you have a song you really want to listen to without interrupting the songs queued up.

Then a combination of add to up next and play next is awesome, add stuff to up next then have any song jump even that que with play next.

Just try it guys, not that hard to understand how it works.

Edit - add to up next basically creates a mini playlist/queue that plays first then resumes whatever was in your queue before without disturbing it.

 

[djcerla]

... and according to The Verge's idiotic commentary, Apple Music was "late to the party" with no chance to catch up, obviously the whole reasoning was based on comparing the number of Spotify's free riders with Apple's paying customers.

http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/5/9851482/apple-music-streaming-wars-spotify-youtube

 

[wesk702]

Apple Music has surpassed 10 million subscribers across iOS, Mac, PC, Android and Apple TV in just six months, a milestone that took its largest rival Spotify around six years to accomplish, Financial Times reported on Sunday.

Apple Music, which launched in over 100 countries on June 30, 2015, has cemented its position as the world's second largest streaming music service behind Spotify, which last announced reaching over 20 million paying subscribers and more than 75 million active users three weeks before Apple's streaming service became available.

Spotify was an early entrant in the streaming music market when it launched in Europe in October 2008. The service did not expand to the U.S. until July 2011 due to lengthy negotiations with major record label companies, and it has since launched in nearly 100 countries and territories worldwide. Unlike Apple Music, Spotify also offers a free ad-supported tier with limited features on desktop and mobile.

Music industry analyst Mark Mulligan predicted last month that Apple Music would have 8 million subscribers by the end of 2015, and he expects the service to reach 20 million total users by the end of this year. At that pace, Apple Music could top Spotify as the largest streaming music service by number of subscribers in 2017, assuming that Spotify maintains around its current rate of growth.

Apple has reportedly internally set a goal of reaching 100 million Apple Music subscribers. Tim Cook confirmed 6.5 million paid subscribers last October.

Update: Spotify told Business Insider that it experienced its fastest subscriber growth ever in the second half of 2015, but did not provide an updated subscriber total.

Article Link: Apple Music Now Has Over 10 Million Subscribers After Just 6 Months

Only half of Spotify!!! Dooooooooommed

 

[WigWag Workshop]

Between my large live music collection, just about every Live Grateful Dead Shows available on demand, and Apple music I am all set. I did not have any issues what so ever with Apple music, in fact it's been a pleasant experience.