Right but once AM is no longer a loss leader or perceived as inexpensive then it can't be a driver for hardware sales. Consumers look for alternatives similar to how they are now dropping cable in ever increasing numbers.
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Apple Music Growing at Record Pace With Two Million Subscribers Added in Just Five Weeks
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Right but once AM is no longer a loss leader or perceived as inexpensive then it can't be a driver for hardware sales. Consumers look for alternatives similar to how they are now dropping cable in ever increasing numbers.
Thanks for replying. I guess just for me personally, $10/mo is steep for such a 'non-interactive' service. I barely notice the ads on Pandora precisely because it has so little of my attention.
As an aside, I'm not 100% familiar with all the details but I don't believe Netflix's model is "pay and hope you watch very little". I am pretty sure they buy the rights to the content outright - they don't pay the content creator on a per view basis. They're somewhat famous for not releasing viewing numbers in fact. Also, they make a lot of their own content now. Why would they spend a lot of money making it and then hope no one watches it?
On the other hand, I believe a lot of musicians are paid on a per listen basis. Thus Pandora's iconic "Are you still listening?" prompt. They don't want to pay for listens that nobody is hearing.
So perhaps the reason tv/film services can be profitable ~$10/mo and music services aren't is because the music industry knows how their content is consumed and was able to intelligently negotiate payment?
I would join, but I just don't like the interface and the way they find music for you. I'm not an R&B or hip hop guy, or a whack of other genres, but AM doesn't seem to be able to figure that out about me. Spotify seems to be great at helping me find new music, so its hard for me to want to leave them. I pay yearly for iTunes Match though and it would be good to just pay one fee in one place.
Interesting to see the comparative / relative rate of growth since both services were introduced. Seeing how Apple hit this point in significantly less time (of course in part due to the advantage of being preinstalled). "If" that progress continues then Apple Music indeed will surpass Spotify.
Though I have no use for such a feature, I think that would be a great feature. The ability to switch on demand while a track is even already playing, from the explicit version to the clean version. -- Perhaps you should throw a hail mary email to someone @ Apple. They at times catch and reply to such messages.
Though I have no use for such a feature, I think that would be a great feature. The ability to switch on demand while a track is even already playing, from the explicit version to the clean version. -- Perhaps you should throw a hail mary email to someone @ Apple. They at times catch and reply to such messages.
No, not just yet. HomePod has only been available for three weeks and in 3 countries. When it goes WW with the software upgrade, you'll likely see a big impact of switchers.
AppleMusic's growth rate is definitely respectable. Only investor greed would say it wasn't good. I'm certain Wall Street would only be satisfied with AppleMusic if it was able to catch up to Spotify or cause a great loss in Spotify's subscriber numbers. I think Apple is doing well without causing Spotify to collapse. I don't quite like Wall Street's "there shall be only one" sort of thinking. If AppleMusic can stay in the black, financially speaking, then that's a good thing for Apple no matter how many subscribers Spotify has. Spotify is a good service. Obviously, many reviewers are upset that the HomePod is only supported by AppleMusic. It seems as though Apple is trying to build up AppleMusic with the HomePod and likely feels having other services allowed on the device is counter-productive to building AppleMusic. I know how reviewers hate Apple's "walled garden" when those other smart speaker devices support multiple music streaming services. Whatever Apple does, it is immediately criticized as the worst choice because it's different from how rival companies do things. However, that type of thinking was able to put Apple where it is today. I surely don't agree with everything they do, but it does seem to work well, if not perfectly. Amazon is the only company that is considered to to everything perfectly, so maybe Amazon's method is the best way of doing things.
Apple has the cash to undercut Spotify or any other streaming service if they wanted to make things tough, but is resisting that temptation. Apple seems to be playing fair enough with AppleMusic's price. Anyway, we'll need to see how things turn out in the long run. If Apple puts out a less-expensive HomePod, it might help boost AppleMusic subscriber numbers even more. Apple is relatively new to the music streaming game, so they probably have a lot more to learn.
Apple has the cash to undercut Spotify or any other streaming service if they wanted to make things tough, but is resisting that temptation. Apple seems to be playing fair enough with AppleMusic's price. Anyway, we'll need to see how things turn out in the long run. If Apple puts out a less-expensive HomePod, it might help boost AppleMusic subscriber numbers even more. Apple is relatively new to the music streaming game, so they probably have a lot more to learn.
meh they are ok for the price i guess, but i cant get over the compression of either - sounds like ****! id rather have physical media or if i stream its from tidal - more per month but with the home system i have and the hifi system in my car it sounds way better and worth it. im with most here though also - its unfortunate most of these services are rap/hiphop centric - takes a while to weed out the crap and get matches closer to listening preferences.
i like the option of 96/24 master recordings on tidal desktop app also - great feature
i like the option of 96/24 master recordings on tidal desktop app also - great feature
I hear you. Despite listening to classic/Dadrock, classical, metal, jazz and orchestral film soundtracks, for you always seems to want to offer me urban/hip hop and new pop. Rather than fearing being profiled, I do wish they’d profile me a little harder!
I’m not sharing my account with anyone else, on the AM family membership plan.
Quite a thoughtful, scientific analysis.
I beg to differ. Apple Music integrates with my AirPlay devices, mine and my family’s hardware, and I can control music with my Apple Watch. The playlists may not be as well-curated (or as long) as Apple’s but if I like a Spotify playlist, I just move it over to AM with STAMP. Plus, with Apple’s cash/stability, I don’t have to worry about Spotify going belly-up when their investors come calling.
I guess you mean that Spotify has a “dark mode.” I’ll give you that. Very important detail for some people, I suppose...
Literally all of the Apple Music benefits you listed are also on Spotify, and in many cases better.
Spotify integrated with AirPlay devices. Indeed, Spotify native support in more hardware than Apple Music.
I can control Spotify music with my Apple Watch, and often do.
As you admit, the playlists on Spotify are better.
I have no worry about Spotify going belly-up. And even if it does, so what? As you say, I can use STAMP or a similar app to move everything over to the next good music streaming service.
It may be easy for subscribers to justify, but it may be too much of a burden on Spotify's finances. Spotify needs to make money to survive, not lose money. Your "family" trick is cool but likely hurts Spotify in the long run. It's not my moral judgment about what's being done. I'm just saying that's not what Spotify intended for the family plan. Who knows, maybe it doesn't hurt Spotify at all. We'll see how Spotify does after it's a full-fledged stock.
If Apple struck a deal for a Netflix like service but for the entire movie catalog on itunes, they would achieve market lead very soon.
I'm not Spotify's accountant, so who knows. But from a purely financial standpoint and logic, I don't see the difference between 6 subscribers living at the same address and 6 subscribers living in the same county. 6 subscribers is 6 subscribers regardless of address. It's 6 accounts, meaning 6 people with 6 different tastes, 6 different musical preferences, 6 different listening habits, and so on. So in terms of helping or hurting Spotify's finances, whether all 6 are the at the same address or not shouldn't make any difference. If Spotify can't make money off $2.50/month on the family plan, they shouldn't offer that plan. If raise the rate on the plan, I'll be unhappy of course but I would understand it and probably continue paying.
My local car-wash sometimes sells a coupon special - 5 washes for $20. Of course they intend to sell 5 washes to be used for one car, but usually one of my co-workers will buy it and we split it 5 ways. It's a trick, sure. But it's not like we are causing the car-wash to use more water and soap or something. They committed to 5-washes worth of soap and water, and that's what we're using. The same with Spotify - they committed to 6 persons worth of music, and that's what we are using.
Of course, two people sharing one account does hurt Spotify financially, and I would agree that is bad. With my analogy, that would be like running two cars through one wash, pretending to be one really long car and thus using up more water and soap.
You know I was using Spotify for last 2 years and few weeks ago I changed it to Apple music. Positive thing - sound quality is way better than Spotify (I'm using Bose QC35II and they not only sound better with Apple music, but ~30% louder as well). Negative thing - Apple music user interface is so viscous and laggy that it is just making me sick. But hopefuly I will adapt to it..Someday..
Thanks for the heads up. I just logged in, went through all my family members in that list, it never asked for an address. I wonder if varies by region, or if they already have my address from my credit card.
6 reasons why I subscribed , 4 other family members wanted it, and I knew I was getting the HomePod, and 3 months free trial, perfect, Thankyou
LOL. Then, how is Spotify “better?” Sounds to me you are arguing they are COMPLETELY the same, which negates your “point!”
Could be. I started an Apple Music trial when I purchased a Home Pod (pre-order arrived first day). A couple years ago I trialed Apple Music and thought it sucked. I don't care what you think of SIRI, beyond the sound quality (which is phenomenal) of the HomePod, SIRI is the difference between Apple Music then and now.
I think the HomePod is a tremendous hook for Apple Music subscriptions. As an AAPL investor I'd like to know the ratio of HomePod unit sales to new Apple Music trials, but I'm confident Apple won't share that data set.
When my Apple Music trial is over (if not sooner) I'll become a paid subscriber.
They’re not going to increase prices . What they’ll probably do is introduce an add on for video content and entice people with a $15 month or $20 month bundle for both music and video
As you said yourself, the playlists are better on Spotify - which to me is important. Some playlists change daily or weekly, so importing them with a third-party app is an inconvenience. Everything else being equal (price, etc.) might as well use the service with the best playlists.
Also, personally, I find the Apple Music UI to be nothing short of atrocious. Which is a shame, Apple was the company that taught me to appreciate good UI. I cancelled Hulu because their new UI is terrible. I've always disliked using Sony products (even though I like their hardware) because their UI is always a mess. Same with music streaming, I'm not going to pay to use a service with such a terrible UI.
Also, as I said above, at least with the family plan, Spotify is also less expensive.
So yea, but for the better playlists on Spotify, better UI on Spotify, and lower cost of Spotify, they are "completely the same."
