Beats 1 is 'the Biggest Radio Station in the World', Says Apple Music

[MacRumors]

Apple Music executives Jimmy Iovine, Zane Lowe, Robert Kondrk, and Larry Jackson spoke to The Verge over the weekend about their work with the musician Drake and the success of Beats 1 radio station, which launched in tandem with the Apple Music app in 2015.

Republic Records told The Verge that Drake's new album More Life was streamed 300 million times worldwide in its first week on Apple Music. It has already eclipsed his previous album, Views, which was an Apple Music exclusive and streamed around 250 million times in its first week. More Life also streamed 89.9 million times during its first 24 hours, breaking single-day album streaming records for all music services.

The numbers for Drake's More Life are impressive in another way - the album is also available on Spotify, which has 100 million subscribers compared to Apple Music's 20 million. The Apple Music team puts the success of the release down to Drake's close collaboration with Beats 1 and his OVO Sound Radio show. The show has debuted several Drake records, including More Life on the most recent episode, which set the record for the most listened-to show.

"What we saw on Drake's radio show were TV numbers," Iovine told The Verge. "We learned so much from just building what Drake needed. He had the idea, we kind of just built and supported around him, and we've learned a lot from that, and the entire industry has learned a lot from that."

Jackson called Beats 1 "the biggest radio station in the world" and boasted that there wasn't another station in existence that has as many concurrent listeners, (although Apple declined to offer specific listener numbers).

"If you rewind back to July of 2015, and those records that rolled out like 'Back to Back,' -- 'Hotline Bling' debuted on OVO Sound Radio first, 'Charged Up' debuted there first -- all these records debuted in a space that was really still new and nascent, and [Drake] made it his own. You can glance over it, but we created this idea that was really great for him, and he took advantage of it," Jackson said. "Drake and Oliver and [Drake's other co-manager] Future [The Prince] were the first to do this with us."

Zane Lowe, head of Beats 1, said that what Drake had taught him in terms of the parameters of broadcasting was remarkable. "He knows what he's doing, and he knows his audience," said Lowe. "And he knows it's going to work when it's ready. The best thing that anyone -- including myself -- can do is get out of the way."

Kondrk described the relationship between Apple Music and Beats 1 like an amusement park -- once users are inside the Apple Music app to listen to Beats 1, he said it was "only natural you'll stay in it to stream the songs afterwards".

"The music is debuting through OVO Sound Radio first, no one really ever leaves the amusement park, and that's why the numbers make sense," Kondrk says. "It's a new paradigm that we've really created here for someone like him to come in and be a genius and take full advantage of everything we have to offer."

Speaking more generally, Iovine reiterated his belief that Apple Music can't become just a "utility" and that the company had to stay nimble, while working with artists like Drake was key to avoiding that distinction. "Two years ago, people would've thought we were crazy with what we were doing with Drake. And we are starting things with other people that in two years will look as interesting as this."

You can read the full article over on The Verge.

Article Link: Beats 1 is 'the Biggest Radio Station in the World', Says Apple Music

 

[MacsRgr8]

Good.
Now, may we have some new Macs? Please..?

 

[Alenore]

"It's the biggest ! But we won't give you any information to verify our claim"

 

[Jsameds]

Good.
Now, may we have some new Macs? Please..?

Sigh. Couldn't even go one comment before someone started flogging this dead horse.

 

[MacsRgr8]

Sigh. Couldn't even go one comment before someone started flogging this dead horse.

I shall change my name into AppleMusicRgr8

 

[BrettArchibald]

I'm obviously too old for this stuff, because the first thing I asked is "who the heck is Drake?"...

 

[kissmo]

I'm obviously too old for this stuff, because the first thing I asked is "who the heck is Drake?"...

We're on the same boat...

 

[Jsameds]

We're on the same boat...

Nice photographic skills

 

[globalist]

Biggest radio station that you cannot dial into on your radio. Sounds legit.

 

[Yellowbean12]

Beats 1 is a nice idea but I wish Apple would increase the variety on it, or even launch more stations with different musical focuses.

Seems every time I turn on Beats 1 it's some barely-understandable rap "musician" drawling on about rubbish which I just can't listen to.

 

[Aston441]

Seems every time I turn on Beats 1 it's some barely-understandable rap "musician" drawling on about rubbish which I just can't listen to.

Correct. By design.

 

[Zandery]

It may be the biggest, even though it's not backed up, but it isn't the best, where's the variety? Nowhere, that's where.

 

[sgreen1403]

I'm not Apple's target audience for Beats 1, but I appreciate what they're bringing to the music industry through it. Read the comments from Lowe and Iovine and you see that these guys, who all consider to be experts in the field, are approaching this as learners. That attitude will keep them nimble and bode well for Apple Music as a whole moving forward.

 

[meaning-matters]

Most inspiring radio station too?

 

[radiology]

Apple Music executives Jimmy Iovine, Zane Lowe, Robert Kondrk, and Larry Jackson spoke to The Verge over the weekend about their work with the musician Drake and the success of Beats 1 radio station, which launched in tandem with the Apple Music app in 2015.

Republic Records told The Verge that Drake's new album More Life was streamed 300 million times worldwide in its first week on Apple Music. It has already eclipsed his previous album, Views, which was an Apple Music exclusive and streamed around 250 million times in its first week. More Life also streamed 89.9 million times during its first 24 hours, breaking single-day album streaming records for all music services.

The numbers for Drake's More Life are impressive in another way - the album is also available on Spotify, which has 100 million subscribers compared to Apple Music's 20 million. The Apple Music team puts the success of the release down to Drake's close collaboration with Beats 1 and his OVO Sound Radio show. The show has debuted several Drake records, including More Life on the most recent episode, which set the record for the most listened-to show.
Jackson called Beats 1 "the biggest radio station in the world" and boasted that there wasn't another station in existence that has as many concurrent listeners, (although Apple declined to offer specific listener numbers).
Zane Lowe, head of Beats 1, said that what Drake had taught him in terms of the parameters of broadcasting was remarkable. "He knows what he's doing, and he knows his audience," said Lowe. "And he knows it's going to work when it's ready. The best thing that anyone -- including myself -- can do is get out of the way."

Kondrk described the relationship between Apple Music and Beats 1 like an amusement park -- once users are inside the Apple Music app to listen to Beats 1, he said it was "only natural you'll stay in it to stream the songs afterwards".
Speaking more generally, Iovine reiterated his belief that Apple Music can't become just a "utility" and that the company had to stay nimble, while working with artists like Drake was key to avoiding that distinction. "Two years ago, people would've

[doublepost=1490614683][/doublepost]"the biggest", perhaps. "The worst", that's for sure.

 

[TheTruth101]

I'm obviously too old for this stuff, because the first thing I asked is "who the heck is Drake?"...

Bro, we are on the same boat and I do electronic music, besides I didn't know Apple had a Radio Station.

 

[djcerla]

[doublepost=1490614683][/doublepost]"the biggest", perhaps. "The worst", that's for sure.

Beats 1 the worst radio of the world.

So far had the MacRumors commenters nonsense come.

 

[GaryMumford]

Most inspiring radio station too?

Yes, It inspired me to turn it off

 

[DanielDD]

Three steps for Apple music to be perfect:

- Make the algorithms for music discoverability not favor popular musicians. Allow people who like mainstream music to listen to it, but do not force it on the throats of the people who don't.
- Increase diversity in Beats radio stations.
- Allow users to share their playlists. Human curation at its best.

Regarding genres:

- For god's sake. Jazz is a genre. I don't get why Jazz is not available in the Genres tab. That's downright insulting.
- Finally, do not dump every music in Alternative. You seem to use it as an umbrella term for almost every music that does not quite fit in its "genre core".

 

[Steve121178]

It may be the biggest, even though it's not backed up, but it isn't the best, where's the variety? Nowhere, that's where.

Apple thinks we are all 16-21 year olds who wear hoodies and spend all day in Starbucks and on Snapchat. That's why we don't need new Macs, apparently.

 

[MH01]

Given it's not broadcast over Radio, nice spin apple. Given its preinstalled on every idevice, it's not hard for them to become the "biggest"

It's when I told my mates, I could take over coaching the All Blacks next week, they will win, does that make me a great coach ....Nope.

 

[Jokyo]

And the king said, "Do you like my new clothes?" Even though the king was naked, everyone said, "Yes you look fantastic!"

That is right where Apple is these days. Disappearing up it's own anus with fads and fancies. Too many 'Yes Men' on the team.

There is not one present product I wish to own. Apple was better 3 years ago. I find myself comparing the new with the old, and feel the old better products.

There are lots of radio stations, really, come on Apple!

 

[itsmilo]

Just like the regular radio it is always playing the same song when i randomly dare to turn it on, so at least they got that part down

 

[Amaze]

Three steps for Apple music to be perfect:

- Make the algorithms for music discoverability not favor popular musicians. Allow people who like mainstream music to listen to it, but do not force it on the throats of the people who don't.
- Increase diversity in Beats radio stations.
- Allow users to share their playlists. Human curation at its best.

Regarding genres:

- For god's sake. Jazz is a genre. I don't get why Jazz is not available in the Genres tab. That's downright insulting.
- Finally, do not dump every music in Alternative. You seem to use it as an umbrella term for almost every music that does not quite fit in its "genre core".

Jazz is a genre, at least on iOS (the future).

 

[TechDiva]

Regarding genres:

- For god's sake. Jazz is a genre. I don't get why Jazz is not available in the Genres tab. That's downright insulting.

I havee iTunes on Windows and it has a jazz genre in the app. Maybe your app needs to be updated?

Also, as mentioned above, the jazz genre also appears in the app on my iPhone.