Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Managers Didn't Know How Spotify Worked, Engineers Used Pandora Over iTunes Radio

Come on. This story is so fake. You're going to try and convince me that these "middle management" guys didn't know what Spotify was. That's rich.

And WTF... Of course they might use pandora while they were making iTunes Radio.

Yes, Spotify is a music sales killer but pandora is a joke. It sucks. The same songs over and over and most are random live versions.

iTunes Radio kills pandora. It's just a simple fact. With iTunes Radio I can listen to the top 50 alternative with one tap. Pandora makes me feel like I'm in a bad episode of twilight zone.
 
You have to be living under a rock in order to not know what spotify does.

What's next. Apple middle management doesn't know beats headphones are really overpriced?
 
Add me to the list of people who want to buy, no stream, music. I think people who prefer streaming aren't particularly into music. They love listening to it, sure, but they don't have that same passion for it as people who follow artists and value buying an album and listening to it from start to finish.

Streaming is all about the constant thirst for newness. It's shallow and wide and the songs and artists become interchangeable and many are just as quickly forgotten. People who buy albums have that collector mentality. Steve loved music in that way, so it's no wonder he didn't like streaming. And it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of managers at Apple shared his thoughts.

I subscribed to Pandora for a while. I enjoy listening to it when I want to be a passive listener. But I usually prefer to select my own music, to choose an album or artist that speaks to my current emotional state. I've never been much of a radio listener for the same reason. The few times I heard a song on Pandora that I liked enough to buy the whole album, I found myself disappointed. The track I'd heard and liked turned out to be the best one on the album, by far. After a while I decided that pandora just wasn't that interesting to me.
 
Last edited:
AxoNeuron said:
If you've ever seen how horrifying the windows software landscape is for software as complicated as iTunes is...then you wouldn't blame SJ. Honestly, there is so much that goes wrong in Windows. Anti-spyware software out there that incorrectly blocks anything and everything, you wouldn't even believe how often things can go wrong with the hosts file, firewall issues, user account types, USB driver issues...just take a look at Apple's support website for "iTunes update/restore errors" and you'll see what I mean.

I wouldn't blame him for wanting to make a complicated program like iTunes only on an OS it was designed to compliment.
Click to expand...

Yet it was iTunes for Windows which make iPod sales explode in 2003 giving Apple the cash hoard necessary to fund iPhone development. All on the backs of Microsoft platform.
 
smoledman said:
Yet it was iTunes for Windows which make iPod sales explode in 2003 giving Apple the cash hoard necessary to fund iPhone development. All on the backs of Microsoft platform.
Click to expand...
That doesn't make iTunes on Windows any less of an epic, rolling train disaster that it is. It's not really Apple's fault, and honestly it's not entirely Microsoft's fault that their OS is so sucky. It's mostly all of the other junk that people love to pollute their PC's with that tend to cause all of the software conflicts and errors + crashes. As I said, I don't blame SJ for having a first instinct to keep iTunes off of the windows platform, but he didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

But Windows honestly doesn't have to suck that ba
 
Yvan256 said:
Alright, I'll give it a try...


Beats
Available on iOS, Android, Windows and Web.
HOLD UP. BEATS MUSIC IS NOT YET AVAILABLE IN YOUR COUNTRY.

So... Beats doesn't support OS X and I'm going to take a wild guess that it probably requires Flash for the Web version. Anyway it's not available in Canada.


Spotify
Spotify works on your computer, mobile, tablet and TV.
Spotify is currently not available in your country.

Not available in Canada either, nor can I see any technical details about "works on your computer".


iTunes Store
Allows me to buy music in Canada. Works on my 2010 Mac mini, my old 12" PowerBook G4, my iPod shuffle, my old iPhone 3GS and my 3rd generation Apple TV.


Winner: iTunes Store (Canada).
Click to expand...

You forgot to compare prices. Spotify is free while Beats and iTunes Store are not. iTunes Store, if I remember right, is buy only. Spotify and Beats are not buy music. They are streaming music services.

PS I've never used iTunes Radio so I'm slightly ignorant and going based on what I've read and heard.
 
I stopped reading at Buzzfeed...

They will pick up any mambo jambo you write on the interwebs.

I will go to secret put some Apple ********, it will be on Buzzfeed soon...


I wanted to try Beats but it's not available in my country.
 
Yvan256 said:
Alright, I'll give it a try...


Beats
Available on iOS, Android, Windows and Web.
HOLD UP. BEATS MUSIC IS NOT YET AVAILABLE IN YOUR COUNTRY.

So... Beats doesn't support OS X and I'm going to take a wild guess that it probably requires Flash for the Web version. Anyway it's not available in Canada.


Spotify
Spotify works on your computer, mobile, tablet and TV.
Spotify is currently not available in your country.

Not available in Canada either, nor can I see any technical details about "works on your computer".


iTunes Store
Allows me to buy music in Canada. Works on my 2010 Mac mini, my old 12" PowerBook G4, my iPod shuffle, my old iPhone 3GS and my 3rd generation Apple TV.


Winner: iTunes Store (Canada).
Click to expand...

You already got Deezer in Canada, and they even have a Made For BlackBerry app.

Also, very strong in francophone music, because it's French.
 
dumastudetto said:
I totally agree with this. I've just cancelled Spotify and will be going 100% Beats now it's the best music service of its kind on the planet. It's also hard to see how Spotify will survive once Apple begins integrating Beats into its products and services. I'm betting Spotify won't even exist in less than 2 years.

If you're a Spotify user who hasn't tried the whole Beats experience yet, I'd urge you to do so now.
Click to expand...

How did you manage to sign up to Beats when you are in the UK? :confused:
 
cube said:
You already got Deezer in Canada, and they even have a Made For BlackBerry app.

Also, very strong in francophone music, because it's French.
Click to expand...

yep, you have deezer and rdio, and Deezer is free on tablet and desktop...
 
MNealBarrett said:
I am just the opposite, I hardly ever watch the same movie twice, but I listen to music over and over. I guess the difference is that a movie captures your attention, so if you watch it again you are spending an additional 2+ hours doing basically nothing but watch that movie, while music can play in the background while doing something productive.
Click to expand...

Sorry. That's what I was getting at. I can pay a subscription for Netflix because I tend to watch a movie once. So the experience is worth it. I'd rather not continue paying a subscription for music I listen to over and over again. My preference would be to buy the music.

----------
handsome pete said:
Wait, are you suggesting people re-watch movies more than they listen to the same song/album multiple times?
Click to expand...

No, just the opposite, actually. A subscription for things that are likely new to me (as I only typically watch a movie once) makes better sense to me than a subscription to listen to the same music over and over. It would be like going to the rental place, and always renting the same CD or VHS tape over and over again. I'd rather just buy it.

----------
nostaws said:
Have you used Spotify? You know that it doesn't have to be random right? On the computer, I can pick my own music and make my own playlists. Yes, ads are included, but it plays my playlist from beginning to end.
Click to expand...

Yeah. I've totally used Spotify, hence my comments about the ads. I realise it has playlists. My preference is still to just own the music and not be dependent upon a streaming service. Once I stop paying them, my access to ad free content is gone. DRM-free downloads are preferable in my opinion.
 
castlema said:
While I realize that streaming music is the flavor of the moment I hope Apple keeps in mind the large number of people who have no interest in streaming their music. If you have a fixed amount of data streaming is just not an option outside of home/work. I mostly listen to music in the car and where I drive there is often times no cell signal at all so I am limited to the music loaded into my iPhone.
Click to expand...
Spotify has an offline mode, so you can download your playlists and play them offline.
 
I don't know if the original story is true or not, but either way I hope Apple do sort out a true streaming service. Admittedly, not everything is available to stream, but my personal experience is that maybe 90% of what I have in my iTunes library is available on Spotify.

As for other streaming services percentages, well there's the problem.

iTunes Radio: unavailable in the UK
Pandora: unavailable in the UK
Beats: unavailable in the UK

So, since my options are iTunes Match which is limited by my purchased/ripped music and Spotify where I can sample other artists etc, then the winner for me at the moment is Spotify (Deezer and rdio seem to have similar choices so I'm counting them with Spotify. All the same price, with the same services). If Apple eventually turn the Beats platform into an iTunes streaming service I'll give it a go, but I'm not holding my breath on it reaching these shores any time soon though.
 
I used to use iTunes for my music. Now I use spotify.

Spotify is just easier for me and my girlfriend to listen to what we want when we want. We're not locked into my purchases, and can decided to listen to pretty much anything old, new, or completely random. When our friends come round we AirPlay from the iPad to the ATV and pass it round for everyone to choose something they like. Suits our needs.
 
I really struggle to believe this - maybe it was the middle management not working on iTunes.

Apple will know their competitors inside and out and they will have known the model of Spotify. The problem is that the Spotify model is fragile and combustible and Apple probably didnt want to emulate it.

And as for cutting into iTunes revenues...there's an old adage about having to kill your own product in order to make your next one a success.

----------
GrumpyTrucker said:
I don't know if the original story is true or not, but either way I hope Apple do sort out a true streaming service. Admittedly, not everything is available to stream, but my personal experience is that maybe 90% of what I have in my iTunes library is available on Spotify.

As for other streaming services percentages, well there's the problem.

iTunes Radio: unavailable in the UK
Pandora: unavailable in the UK
Beats: unavailable in the UK

So, since my options are iTunes Match which is limited by my purchased/ripped music and Spotify where I can sample other artists etc, then the winner for me at the moment is Spotify (Deezer and rdio seem to have similar choices so I'm counting them with Spotify. All the same price, with the same services). If Apple eventually turn the Beats platform into an iTunes streaming service I'll give it a go, but I'm not holding my breath on it reaching these shores any time soon though.
Click to expand...


I agree with all of this.
In the UK we have limited streaming services - Spotify is miles ahead of the rest - but I too have found only 10% of my library on Spotify. Streaming services are great for big label releases and Top 40 albums past and present, but for the more hardcore music fans, I find it easier to listen to music on specialist radio shows (Rob da bank), blogs and then download from iTunes, Bandcamp etc

And maybe im old skool, but i still want to OWN my music and manage it how I please, not rely on a company to host it and possibly remove it at any time
 
Wow. I actually feel really annoyed that Apple are so out of touch.

Spotify is awesome and is easily years ahead. They're well integrated, have good deals and have definitely come up with the best solution to the future of music streaming. £4.99 for all you can eat! (courtesy of NUS :D)

I'm done with downloading, organising, owning, transferring, licensing etc. I just wanna login and listen instantly.

Granted, they don't have EVERYTHING (who does?), but that will come with time. The point is, they're already in the game and their jazz, blues, rock, funk collection is more than I will ever listen to in my lifetime.

Wakey wakey Apple. There's an eagle flying over your head.
 
Last edited:
thejadedmonkey said:
I've been using iTunes radio at work recently. I'll have to try Spotify now ��
Click to expand...

Are you serious?! At least in the UK everyone knows what Spotify is and uses it. it is the default music player for most people. iTunes radio (when it finally launches in the UK) will never be able to compete.
 
mac1984user said:
Not surprising, but I also kind of see their point. If you're happy not to own your music and listen to music like you watch random TV programs, Spotify is great. But I don't like paying a subscription for music I'd rather not stream. So, for me, Spotify has always been a bit of an annoyance. Intrusive ads or monthly payment plans. At least the Netflix model makes more sense due to the frequency with which we rewatch films as opposed to music. Ultimately, just do what you like, I suppose!
Click to expand...

I don't know how you listen to your music, but I sure listen to songs over and over again. The Netflix model is EXACTLY why I have Spotify.
 
I've had really bad experiences with iTunes Radio. It's song selections are very repetitive for me. It's almost as if I would have to continuously listen for 24 hours straight in order to hear songs that it hasn't played yet.

I haven't used it since maybe December, so I don't know if it has gotten better. I went back to Pandora. But as of about a month and a half ago, I subscribed to Beats Music and have fallen in love. Thought it was funny that Apple was rumored to be buying them like a week after I started my free trial.
 
Actually it was possible to buy the music (download the mp3) at Spotify before (at least in some countries) but they removed that feature in the beginning of last year. I still haven´t heard a convincing explanation as to why it was removed. I mean, it´s absurd with a company not letting customer buy songs...

One theory is that people who buy their favourite songs stop paying for the Premium subscription.

My conspiracy theory is that the record companies are behind that limitation somehow.
 
dumastudetto said:
I totally agree with this. I've just cancelled Spotify and will be going 100% Beats now it's the best music service of its kind on the planet. It's also hard to see how Spotify will survive once Apple begins integrating Beats into its products and services. I'm betting Spotify won't even exist in less than 2 years.

If you're a Spotify user who hasn't tried the whole Beats experience yet, I'd urge you to do so now.
Click to expand...

Just another Apple Fanboy, falling in line, and singing that proverbial "Nobody does it better?" This reminds me so much of socialism.
 
MuzakaEklekta said:
W
Granted, they don't have EVERYTHING (who does?), but that will come with time.
Click to expand...

Not it won't

Spotify pay peanuts to artists - $0.007 per song (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25217353) which means anyone without a major label is wasting their time and money.

Many artists have already boycotted Spotify (Thom Yorke for one) for this reason and believe it damages creativity and growth for new music

Im not knocking Spotify too much - I think it works but ONLY for mainstream music
 
Not surprising, iTunes radio is nothing like Pandora. I prefer Pandora over iTunes radio
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back