So we can take down one more credible player and get the rights to stream at a higher bit rate assuming apple does not already have that. This puts apple squarely in line as the only artist friendly player in the game. This takes all exclusives from spotify away and basically puts a huge strangle hold on them going into the future.
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Apple in Talks to Acquire Jay Z's Streaming Music Service Tidal
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It's more than just rap. (Jay Z himself, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Daft Punk, Jack White, Madonna, Arcade Fire, Alicia Keys, Usher, Chris Martin, Calvin Harris, deadmau5, Jason Aldean and J. Cole were introduced to the stage as "The owners of TIDAL") source: Google.
You know how Microsoft use to buy the competition to beat the competition?
Apple is beginning to look more and more like MS.
Apple is beginning to look more and more like MS.
Assuming there are 2 million willing to pay 19.99 per month, that is a good business.
Tidal hit something which is it got a passionate niche audience. And Apple is always about the margins.
Tidal hit something which is it got a passionate niche audience. And Apple is always about the margins.
Qobuz are pretty great, even though I don't subscribe because I'm not interesting in any subscription services right now, I have bought quite a lot of music downloads from them.
I'd love if this potential Tidal purchase had anything to do with Apple deciding to get into lossless music at last, but I am doubtful. So even though I like Apple and would love to support them by buying more music in iTunes, I shall just continue to purchase superior quality music from their competitors, whether as downloads or on CD.
Actually Google Play and TIDAL pay artists the most. They're neck and neck.
Apple Music on the other hand, is bottom of the barrel. That's why Apple wants a piece of that blaze. Keep in mind they already bought BEATS. Ruined BEATS. And now they want TIDAL. As if buying and stripping down companies is going to help somebody.
Really Apple, monopoly again what trying eliminate Spotify. I could care about Tidal not my type of music.
that statement is incorrect. You are misinformed. They all pay on the same basis. Which is not a per-stream.
This is tremendous news, as it means that Apple is finally listening to MacRumors commentators.
I think this is just the beginning and we'll see a lot of new acquisitions getting announced throughout the whole year and after that.
High on the list of favorite pickups are:
-Italy
-Spotify
-the Chinese government
-Samsung
-HTC
-independent repair shops
-TSMC
-the EU
Can't wait to follow Apple's big shopping spree of fixing problems with cash!
Glassed Silver:mac
I think this is just the beginning and we'll see a lot of new acquisitions getting announced throughout the whole year and after that.
High on the list of favorite pickups are:
-Italy
-Spotify
-the Chinese government
-Samsung
-HTC
-independent repair shops
-TSMC
-the EU
Can't wait to follow Apple's big shopping spree of fixing problems with cash!
Glassed Silver:mac
Whatever happened to "Think Different"? This is a serious question, not just a dig at Apple. As a 25 year Apple user and a lover of the 1984 commercial concept, how did the company move from "Don't just be like everyone else" to "Acquire all the brands that we think are cool!"???
I really think there has been a monumental change in fundamental DNA of the company that is Apple under Cook. They're getting embroiled in political issues, slobbering over celebrities & allowing others to do the innovation for them.
IMO, they are still riding the wave that was put into motion by all the years of actual revolutionary technological dreaming, but it seems the vision has been replaced by someone who's pushing their own affection for Hollywood.
It's like when Looney Tunes transitioned from hand-drawn animation to digital creation. It still claimed to be Bugs Bunny, but it was just never the same creativity.
I really think there has been a monumental change in fundamental DNA of the company that is Apple under Cook. They're getting embroiled in political issues, slobbering over celebrities & allowing others to do the innovation for them.
IMO, they are still riding the wave that was put into motion by all the years of actual revolutionary technological dreaming, but it seems the vision has been replaced by someone who's pushing their own affection for Hollywood.
It's like when Looney Tunes transitioned from hand-drawn animation to digital creation. It still claimed to be Bugs Bunny, but it was just never the same creativity.
Look, I'm not here for all the Apple fanboys right now. If you think Apple Music is in any way shape or form even slightly better than Spotify - you may need your head examined. This is why Apple has already revamped the service once (and fixed almost nothing that is clumsy about it, IMO). It's confusing, looks confusing, and still isn't easy enough to use. It's embarrassing - like the first Apple Maps release.
It also bolsters up the streaming chops for Apple by adding more talent to the developer pool in house.
Why would JayZ sell Tidal to Apple when the reason he created it in the first place was because Apple and Spotify don't pay artists enough??
there are more comments here than I have time to read so I'm likely repeating what has been said but...
1) The hypocrisy of Tidal - the streaming music company for the artists that would stand up to the big players like Apple and Spotify - is disappointing but not unexpected. I never agreed with the position to begin with but for an organization to claim an altruistic purpose and then simply be a real business with traditional goals just furthers our collective cynicism.
2) I'm sure Apple has done due diligence on this but as an outsider I don't understand why they would make the purchase (or even the overture). Tidal is experiencing a honeymoon as a second tier offering but I'd expect it would be difficult for them to maintain and nearly impossible to grow at any significant rate (at least to being a threat to Apple). I'd expect the price tag for the organization would be far greater than the money they'd have to wave in front of artists to get them to jump ship. And after all, content is key in this situation, they don't need the infrastructure and the client base can be poached with content moves and time.
edit: typo
1) The hypocrisy of Tidal - the streaming music company for the artists that would stand up to the big players like Apple and Spotify - is disappointing but not unexpected. I never agreed with the position to begin with but for an organization to claim an altruistic purpose and then simply be a real business with traditional goals just furthers our collective cynicism.
2) I'm sure Apple has done due diligence on this but as an outsider I don't understand why they would make the purchase (or even the overture). Tidal is experiencing a honeymoon as a second tier offering but I'd expect it would be difficult for them to maintain and nearly impossible to grow at any significant rate (at least to being a threat to Apple). I'd expect the price tag for the organization would be far greater than the money they'd have to wave in front of artists to get them to jump ship. And after all, content is key in this situation, they don't need the infrastructure and the client base can be poached with content moves and time.
edit: typo
Might as well launch it on all the torrent websites. Exclusive is a joke.
There are so many FREE options to listen to music and a few pay options, that it's probably correct to say music growth has flattened. The artists mostly have to make their money touring these days.
Then there is an age divide between teenagers , younger generation and old farts like me.
As a teenager up to a certain age it was important to me to know about and listen to the latest music.
Add to that having a REAL stereo system with loudspeakers that could shake the walls.
Then came rap , hip hip and other stuff which no longer matched my taste (I am not saying any of these are bad)
Since mp3s and streaming was not around, one had to own the music. I had 600 plus vinyl albums.
Then came CD's, so I converted my collection of vinyl to CDs for whatever was re-issued.
(Never bought tapes, as they always eventually jammed)
In the meantime my music taste was still the same, with an occasional new artist or new hit fitting what I like.
Then comes the mp3 revolution and it was no longer necessary to store the media, plus with mp3 players one can take entire libraries along to listen in the size of a deck of cards.
I used to carry 45s and 33s to parties of my friends to spin them there when they had no money.
Add streaming and youtube and it is a rare case that you can't listen to what you want WITHOUT a large size physical device. Todays earphones are awesome (We'll probably blow our ears out over time), so again no need for major equipment.
Now I am getting ready to retire and have long realized that I do not want to own ANYTHING that requires physical storage. So, my vinyl collection has been untouched for ages. CDs sitting in some box and whatever I like is on my iPhone.
Sirius subscription fills in when I want to check certain genres and radio comes dead last for way too much advertising which feels like it's every minute.
I am pretty sure a lot of older music fans feel that way also. These can probably not be reached via any streaming offering.
I still like to listen to music, but no longer every day or with a must have hit. Therefore nobody in the music industry can get much money out of me.
Sirius internet subscription (not even their device), Spotify for FREE and my converted CDs on the iPhone
is all I need.
Won't even bother with iTunes or iTunes match, as I am not a cloud man. (I know shows my age)
This is an interesting take, and certainly true, I think. Max Martin is one of the biggest producers in the world, and has been since the late 90s Backstreet Boys/NYSYNC, Brittney...
I can see the logic for this and at first it seems like a decent idea... but aren't there also plenty of other streaming options like Deezer, Google Play Music etc. Is Apple gonna acquire all of them? I mean, what if some of the artists like rihanna/kanye or whatever decide to jump ship to another platform after a year or so, then what?
Apple wants Apple Music to be seen as a serious competitor to Spotify and in order to do that they're trying to solidify their place as the 2nd best option for now but as some of the others on MR have already pointed out, Apple needs to sort out the UI first and foremost (and not just making it look "prettier")
On a side note: Based on a couple of rumours Tidal doesn't sound like it's doing well on its own...financially at least. Maybe Apple could just wait for a year or so before Tidal becomes bankrupt or desperate to be acquired?
Apple wants Apple Music to be seen as a serious competitor to Spotify and in order to do that they're trying to solidify their place as the 2nd best option for now but as some of the others on MR have already pointed out, Apple needs to sort out the UI first and foremost (and not just making it look "prettier")
On a side note: Based on a couple of rumours Tidal doesn't sound like it's doing well on its own...financially at least. Maybe Apple could just wait for a year or so before Tidal becomes bankrupt or desperate to be acquired?
MQA could be a key factor here. I have a Meridian DAC and the sound quality of the limited number of MQA tracks I have is VERY good. Tidal is reportedly converting their catalog to the MQA format and is expected to offer MQA streaming in the near future. If they're acquired by Apple I would hope that Apple would continue with this plan as well as offer the iTunes catalog in MQA as well. It would probably not be hard to put a MQA DAC into a lighting adapter and/or lighting headphones. Audiophile sound from Apple - I think Steve would approve...
They might just do it. But if they also acquire Tidal, Apple will be the only lossless audio streaming service.