Apple has an active installed base of over 1.3 billion, and those users of “expensive” hardware are more likely to subscribe to services.
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Apple Music Now Playable on Amazon Echo Speakers via Alexa in United States
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All that is neat if you live alone, but it can only be tied to one account, right?
I can do the Apple stuff from my iPhone, iPad, or watch. At our house, the Alexa devices (we have 4 because they're cheap and handy) are used by the whole family, including visiting kids, mostly for playing music. This new integration makes my personal Apple Music a lot more useful to me, and now I can let my Amazon music subscription lapse.
We also pay for a family subscription to Google Music for ad-free YouTube and streaming music on many devices. I dislike the silo effect of keeping subscriptions tied to particular devices and am glad to see Apple opening up. It's definitely in their interest, just like when Microsoft went all in on mobile apps for iOS and Android rather than keeping everything on the dead Windows Phone platform.
It occurs to me that having 3 music subscriptions cost as much as a HomePod purchase, but it goes to show that convenience and content tops sound quality, at least for me.
I love my dots, but I find Amazon’s implementation of third party commands annoying. Why would I need to say “Alexa, play music by Ed Sheeran on Apple Music” when Alexa already knows what music services I subscribe to. I should be able to say “Alexa, play Ed Sheeran” and she should sync each platform and either ask me which one she should use, or she should mix streaming songs from different platforms.
I got a dot for Destiny 2, and the extra commands made making requests a chore. I expect music playback to be even simpler.
I got a dot for Destiny 2, and the extra commands made making requests a chore. I expect music playback to be even simpler.
I am not following your logic, based on your numbers . Given the huge installation base of 1.3 billion , 40 million Apple Music subscribers is insignificant, and in no way does it show Apple users are loyal to Apple when it comes to services.
You may find that, given Apple is partnering with amazon for thier insignificant 100 million , suggest that 1.3 billion means very little. Why partner with such a small player if you have 1.3 billion user....... Apple Music can help you answer that question, even with such a huge installation base and AM notification and free trials, Spotify is still ahead . You would be shocked how many of those 1.3 billion use Spotify actuallly .
Please feel free to provide facts to support Apple users are loyal to Apple services cause they own an Apple product .
No it doesn’t.
Alexa is the same, only better. If it wasn’t for privacy, there would be no argument for Siri anymore!
I also own one and the experience is poor. I feel I have to repeat my orders more and more to make Siri react. I also have to talk louder as well. And if Siri reacts, the hit rate is 50-70% at best - for music! Siri is simply a poor assistant, especially compared to Alexa.
If privacy wasn’t important to me, I would have several Echos around the house already and the HomePod would have been sold. Not sure I’m not caving in some time in the future, though.
Exactly.
The 1.3 billion active devices is a meaningless marketing soundbite , there is no context when it comes to users buying into Apple services. How many of those devices are 'hand me down' devices given to children, and how much cash are those children dropping on iCloud storage and Apple Music subscriptions?
Look at this Echo situation, what is the point in having over a billion active users when you cant get your services in front of them?
AM has taken three years to offer some presence on non Apple devices outside of smartphone apps, we finally see some and its US only. Spotify have had TV streaming apps and smart speaker support for years at this point, even Tidal is more pervasive.
I've been using AM for a while now because I have some issues with Spotifys business model but its becoming difficult to justify a service that I can only use on my phone. I'll probably go back to Spotify soon.
This doesn’t replace HomePod for me however it’s nice being able to use Apple Music on the cheap echo dots in rooms beside my living room
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I refuse to invest in Sonos until they offer Dolby Atmos. My current home audio equipment works perfectly find until there is a valid reason to upgrade
This is great news - I was going back and forth between a couple Sonos Ones and a HomePod, but this made the decision for me. Alexa beats Siri any time.
Most likely Apple isn’t going to compete with the cheaper echo spot more people own those then the bigger more expensive echo
You can buy a speaker which is on par with the HomePod for cheaper than what Apple is asking for. And one that integrates a better Assisstant such as Google and Alexa. So to say that ppl looking for a good speaker doesn’t care about the assistant feature is silly.
I own 3 echo spots and not a single one is unconnected to good speakers or even used to play music seriously. My home theatre is connected to an Apple TV. I have a great soundbar in the bedroom connected to another Apple TV as well as own a HomePod. Echo doesn’t offer any Airplay options let alone AirPlay 2.
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It does everything I need it to do and is the only assistant that can send information to all of my Apple devices
So is that both services you have to pay for? I'm in Europe anyway just getting prepared for the launch.
I own a HomePod and several echo dots. I never actually play music on the dots and anytime I’ve tried I can’t yell over commands at them while music is on. Meanwhile I can blast music full volume on HomePod and sori can still hear my voice commands from across the room
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Yet the Apple Watch dominates the wearable market and is disrupting the traditional watch market.
Alexa can add things to your iCloud Calendar. You just have to change the default Calendar to the iCloud one.
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50 million, straight from the horses mouth in an interview with Bloomberg. Spotify hit 83 million paid in July.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...old-trump-tariffs-are-wrong-approach-to-china
https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/26/...-83-million-streaming-music-quarterly-results
Great deduction, Sherlock...
No, actually, it could mean that the specific device I'm running the Alexa app on along with even possibly a combination of another app being installed or running in the background could be the issue. Or the combination of the Echo devices that I have grouped - who knows. Everyone's setup is different and it's a good likelihood that the development team didn't sleuth out all issues yet.
If you have an Amazon Music family subscription, you can stream from multiple devices - we do this all the time in our household!
[doublepost=1544889191][/doublepost]Uh, what about the UK?
I asked for a source because it was originally stated Apple Music had 40 million subscribers.
At 50 million, the source from way back in May is 25% higher than what was claimed.
I can understand the confusion, since Spotify is growing at a monthly rate of only 2%, while Apple's growth rate is 5%.
That’s why even though Spotify was founded in 2006, Apple Music launched only 3 years ago and overtook Spotify in the US for paying subscribers this summer.
Obviously the 50 million number is outdated considering Apple Music’s growth rate, so it will be interesting to see if Apple announces an updated figure during the next earnings call.
That is why they have a "Default" music service in settings, where you don't have to *name* which service you want to use unless it's one other than the default.
Firstly I didn't state anything, @Shiro_Simba did. That 50 million figure also includes 8 million on free trials so 42 million paid users, hardly a million miles out is it? For context Spotify had 191 million monthly active users including their free users so lot of potential for growth there too.
Yes Apple Musics numbers are probably higher now but im sure Spotifys are too unless you think they haven't added any subscribers since the summer. Granted Apple growing theirs marginally faster and yes Apple Music is doing well in a market where the iPhone accounts for nearly 50%.
Your point was that because Apple 1.3 billion install base they don't need to worry about other platforms, in three years they've only convinced 40 million of them to pay for Apple Music.
EDIT: Spotify is at 87 million paid as of 1st November '18