Apple Files Trademarks for Beats 2, 3, 4, and 5 Radio Stations

[MacRumors]

Apple filed trademark applications for the word marks B2, B3, B4, and B5 with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in November, including the matching marks Beats Two, Beats Three, Beats Four, and Beats Five, as spotted by French website Consomac [Google Translate]. The applications are currently pending review.

All four trademark applications are assigned to "Beats Electronics, LLC," have the same logo that Apple uses for its Beats 1 radio station, and are listed under broadcasting- and streaming music-related categories, indicating that Apple could be planning an expansion of its Beats radio network in the future.

Goods and Services: broadcasting and transmission of voice, data, images, music, audio, video, multimedia, television, and radio by means of telecommunications networks; broadcast and transmission of streamed music, audio, video, and multimedia content by means of telecommunications networks; matching users for the transfer of music, audio, video, and multimedia by means of telecommunications networks; providing access to websites, databases, electronic bulletin boards, on-line forums, directories, music, and video and audio programs

Apple's licensing terms with record labels reportedly give the company permission to create up to five additional radio stations like Beats 1 without needing to negotiate new terms. Apple could potentially launch additional Beats stations around the world, adding DJs in other countries or launching stations with a specific focus or genre.

MacRumors previously discovered that Apple has registered domains such as beats2.com.cn, beats2.hk, and beats4.com.ru in various countries around the world. Beats 1 is broadcast worldwide, but in the future, Apple may wish to offer stations that cater to different languages and musical preferences around the world.

Beats 1 is broadcast in over 100 countries and has been on air since Apple Music launched on June 30. Apple's 24/7 live global radio station, anchored by renowned DJs Zane Lowe, Ebro Darden and Julie Adenuga, provides a mix of the latest music, guest interviews and more. Beats 1 can be streamed through Apple Music and iTunes.

Article Link: Apple Files Trademarks for Beats 2, 3, 4, and 5 Radio Stations

 

[Sethal]

Sweet, maybe we'll get a Country only station. Love the interview on Beats 1, hate the most of the music played.

 

[efktd]

Perhaps Beats 1 was their hip hop endeavor.

 

[bbeagle]

1) Register Beats 6
2) ???
3) Profit

 

[bbeagle]

Sweet, maybe we'll get a Country only station. Love the interview on Beats 1, hate the most of the music played.

I agree. Even things like 'Top music of 2015' - can't stand any of it. They need to understand that MOST people are not in love with hip hop and rap.

 

[Waxhead138]

"And the Beat(ings) will continue until Morale Improves."

 

[garirry]

Not a big radio listener but why the hell did we need FOUR more Beats stations?

 

[Mike MA]

Not a big radio listener but why the hell did we need FOUR more Beats stations?

Well, let's put it this way - four times the chance to play less hip-hop.

 

[AustinIllini]

Not a big radio listener but why the hell did we need FOUR more Beats stations?

Genre specific. Beats one is the sensible "top 40/general music" station, but I would expect one of them to be Alternative/Folk/Indie and another to be Hip Hop

 

[LordQ]

I can't believe I hated Beats 1, it's the best part of Apple Music IMO, I enjoy hearing it daily. Hopefully one of these is more pop/dance/electronic centered.

 

[dannyyankou]

I'd love a rock and alternative station

 

[MacsRgr8]

Here's to hoping that the other stations play different music, akin to "styles"

 

[Rogifan]

More evidence that Beats radio is just BBC radio ripoff. I'd love to know how many people are actually listening now semi regular basis.

 

[Ventilatedbrain]

Actually love it and listen to it on the daily the soulection segment last week was Amazing

 

[mporcheron]

Apple's 24/7 live global radio station

I still feel it is somewhat disingenuous to call a station "24/7 live" when it is only live 12 hours a day, and repeats itself for the next 12.

 

[Diaz72]

Im surprised this didn't happen sooner. Apple and Beats has a great opportunity to create a platform equal to or greater than SiriusXM. They ought to have different channels for different genres and a channel that features talk programs or that highlights particular podcasts. They definitely would have greater reach than SiriusXM.

 

[Janichsan]

I agree. Even things like 'Top music of 2015' - can't stand any of it. They need to understand that MOST people are not in love with hip hop and rap.

Thank Homme for the Alligator Hour.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

If you don't have Melvin Bragg & classical music, you don't have diddly.

 

[carrrrrlos]

Somewhere out there beats 6 is sulking.

 

[RB1959]

Nope. I'm a BBC radio 2 man but only in the car. I hardly ever listen to the radio indoors.

 

[840quadra]

They have more than just hip hop / rap ( which I too dislike ) . I keep track of the schedule and listen in much more than I thought I would. Been a good way to discover some artists I may not normally listen to.

I would love a chill / electronic station, that and some classic rock .

 

[pat500000]

Neh Apple radio stations are going to glitch out ..."please update iOS 9.x to listen to your damn radio"

 

[GenesisST]

I don't listen to Beats 1 therefore I'm totally against having Beats 2, 3, 4 and 5... I'm assuming here that we are forced to listen to it...

That's the way this forum works, right? My use case is the only valid one, correct?

Obligatory "/s" for people that only understand the first degree.

In all seriousness, they probably have good numbers if they are going with it. Please surprise me!

 

[thatanonymoususer]

Not a big radio listener but why the hell did we need FOUR more Beats stations?

I'm not a fan of country, but one of the first posts here was for requesting a country station. That's why.

I would like to see multiple target audiences though, and here's hoping that the different stations bring that about. So far, the Beats brand keeps targeting the same demographic from before the acquisition: people who care about Dr. Dre's affiliation with the brand.

It's interesting to see the more refined (and lower priced) products like the Pill+ replacing some of the lower-quality sound products, and I hope that the pattern continues into a quality competitor to the old iPod Hi-Fi's. It would be cool to see a new generation of speakers and headphones using the rumored higher-quality codec that would appeal to a larger audience than those who only have max db on their spec sheet.

Apple's Beats One is a great way to have a curated playlist of new releases and interviews. I think that if they release the other stations along with higher-quality steaming, Apple Music could become a de-facto service for classical music and re-brand Beats for a wider audience.

 

[OllyW]

More evidence that Beats radio is just BBC radio ripoff. I'd love to know how many people are actually listening now semi regular basis.

I don't think they will ever be ripping off BBC Radio 4 or Radio 5, though I would love to hear Eddy Cue bigging up the Archers at the next Apple keynote.

Even though a lot of people would enjoy a station based on Radio 3, classical music doesn't seem to be an ideal match to the current Beats image.