Apple's New Streaming Music Service and Revamped iTunes Radio to Debut Next Week

[Rogifan]

I hope Apple doesn't spend a lot of time on this next Monday. It's a developers conference.

@eric_analytics said on Twitter that the U2 deal was one of the worst decisions Eddy Cue made and that the U2 promo was a HEAVY setback in negotiations and Apple ended up getting crappy deals because of it. I still have this feeling it was really pushed by Jimmy Iovine but the question is why? Surely he should have known it would piss off other artists and the record lables. Apple should be a neutral platform, not spending big bucks picking winners or promoting specific artists.

 

[Glenn Watson]

Apple's much-rumored streaming music service is set to debut at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8 alongside a revamped iTunes Radio, The Wall Street Journal confirmed today. Apple's Beats-based streaming music service will not include a free listening tier like Spotify, but it will include unlimited on-demand streaming for $10 per month.

Rather than offering its music catalog for free, Apple will supplement its upcoming streaming music service with free music available through iTunes Radio. As has been rumored, iTunes Radio will be gaining new channels created by and hosted by DJs. Apple has made several hires for iTunes Radio, most notably snatching DJ Zane Lowe from BBC Radio in February.

The radio push is said to be aimed primarily at users who are not located in the United States, and has been rumored earlier, Apple has plans to debut its streaming music service and iTunes Radio in multiple countries around the world. Apple is hoping that users outside the U.S. who do not have access to Pandora will use the radio service and later subscribe to Apple's streaming music service.

According to The Wall Street Journal's sources, Apple is fully prepared to cannibalize its iTunes music downloads with its new streaming service and it plans to promote it heavily to iTunes customers. For example, a customer purchasing a $10 album may be encouraged by Apple to subscribe to the music service instead.

Apple has not yet closed deals with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, or Warner Music Group, but the negotiations are expected to be completed in the near future. Because deals are not complete, there's a possibility that the new service will not debut at WWDC, but the WSJ's sources say this is "unlikely."

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off next week, with a keynote event taking place on Monday, June 8. Along with its new streaming music service and updated iTunes Radio, Apple is also rumored to be debuting a new Apple TV set-top box, a streaming television service, and updates to HomeKit and Apple Pay. iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 will also be announced.

Article Link: Apple's New Streaming Music Service and Revamped iTunes Radio to Debut Next Week

 

[Glenn Watson]

I don't like streaming music myself, Id rather just buy or listen to I heart radio or Tune In radio but, hopefully, apple will get better Internet Radio stations. I use Itunes match for my collection of music and it works just fine.

 

[Rogifan]

Is Apple going to offer some utility to easily transfer over playlists/starred songs from Spotify?

 

[Uofmtiger]

Personally, I don't have an allegiance to any streaming service. I have used pretty much all of them and my preference is for Rdio, which I am currently using. I tried Beats and didn't like it for several reasons, so I am waiting to see if the new service fixes the issues I have with that service.

I am sure there will be a trial and I will definitely give it a try because Apple could make it very compelling if they integrate it with iOS/Siri, iTunes Match, and Airplay (especially giving it multiple room access like iTunes). The thing Apple has going for it is that they can control the OS platform on iPhones/iPads/Macs/Touch and give it access that no other music app currently has. How they use that power will be interesting and at least worth a look.

 

[skellener]

No choice either other than to continue to pay and pay and pay and pay. I'll take choice.

Pay for music?...what a novel concept. Everything in my library has been paid for. It's mine forever. It's not tied to any sort of monthly service.

 

[smorrissey]

10 bucks no way I'm lucky if i spend 1.29 per month on music ill listen to the radio for free first give me add supported i would rather that

you will be....you will be...

 

[smorrissey]

Which will be the stream quality of this new service? no word about it on the event just sad and pathetic. The message was clear: most of the people doesn't care about quality anymore.

 

[AustinIllini]

Which will be the stream quality of this new service? no word about it on the event just sad and pathetic.

I would assume it is whatever quality iTunes is?

 

[smorrissey]

I would assume it is whatever quality iTunes is?

yes i assumed that too 256k....itunes plus...

 

[Traverse]

I'm still a little confused. This replaces iTunes Radio right? What was iTunes Radio then? Their own attempt at this Apple Music before using Beats' resources?

 

[Traverse]

No monthly fee with my music library

I agree. I hope there's a way to disable most of the unused stuff in the Music App because I just prefer to sync my music and not have to waste bandwidth and battery streaming.

 

[AustinIllini]

I'm still a little confused. This replaces iTunes Radio right? What was iTunes Radio then? Their own attempt at this Apple Music before using Beats' resources?

I would hope it will all be clear and ironed out by launch (The fall keynote, for sure). I can't imagine Apple having two music apps. Look at Android's two photos apps (Photos and Gallery). It's a mess.

 

[Traverse]

I would hope it will all be clear and ironed out by launch (The fall keynote, for sure). I can't imagine Apple having two music apps. Look at Android's two photos apps (Photos and Gallery). It's a mess.

I just hate how sometimes it's right in your face. Like how "Recently added" is enabled by default and "Show All Purchases" shows by default. It's not a big deal to toggle the switch, but I hope they don't one day just make it ONE thing and non-optional.

I've purchased music I hated, but needed to make a wedding video for a family member. I don't want that kind of stuff showing up or downloading to my device. I've carefully organized my local library just as I wanted it and, until last week, used customer sorting numbers to arrange my albums. I gave up on that though because once you go over 100 albums it's too much to redo the numbering system.