Eddy Cue 'Thrilled With the Numbers' as Apple Music Hits 11 Million Users

[Fuchal]

Important detail that you left off from your post: have you used Spotify?

If yes, then you are correct, you're the odd man out. Everyone else who used Spotify previously thinks it's better.

If no, then you belong to the group that concerns me. You're like someone who used IE 6 when Firefox was available, because it was convenient and you'd never had a good internet browsing experience so you just assumed that the bugs were an inherent part of browsing the web. Or you're like someone who uses Windows - you assume the crap that Windows gives you is an inherent part of using a computer.

Your group concerns me because if Apple Music is preloaded with OS X and iOS, people who have never used Spotify might mistake it for the greatest music service ever, and so the actual greatest music service ever might have to shut down.

I have a solid amount of music in my iTunes library that's not available on Apple Music, Spotify, Rdio, or Tidal. In my opinion, Apple Music does the best job at providing a seamless experience between my music library and the streaming library and allowing me to manage and download for offline use. Spotify does have a local file option but it botched up the file import so bad it ended up putting single albums into multiple albums and multiple artist names. It rewrites the tags for every local import to match it's own tags. Rdio has no such feature. I'm not sure about Tidal but frankly their apps are so basic I can't imagine it doing what I wanted. The best case scenario with Spotify or Rdio is I have to use two apps to play my music. With Apple Music, I use one and it's all consolidated in one list.

 

[Paradoxally]

I am laughing at some of the comments in this thread, namely those that call for the firing of Eddy Cue, comparing him to Steve Ballmer (what kind of comparison?!) and saying Spotify offers a superior UI.

11M in a month is huge. Tell me which company can get a userbase this big, even by offering a free trial of their service for 3 months...let's compare in 2 years time and see who ended up dominating the music industry.

Also, Apple Music may be confusing, but look at Spotify (scroll down). Whoever said its a simple interface to use knows absolutely nothing about UX and UI and are completely going by experience. Somebody who has never used Spotify, after 3 months with AM I guarantee you they'll end up saying it's not that confusing. The opposite is also true. Humans are reluctant to change, it's a simple as that.

And saying AM doesn't even offer half the features? Tell me how I can listen to all my music, owned or not, in one place without jumping through hoops to get them on my mobile device like with Spotify. And no, adding them to an "offline playlist" so they will sync does not count. I want to be able to listen to Taylor and The Beatles seamlessly (I have their albums). Apple Music allows this. Spotify does not.

 

[thekeyring]

11M free users 0 paid subscribers. Who has not pre-cancelled their subscription?

I know you're implying everyone is only staying for the trial but I don't think that's true. Some are, certainly, and it will be interesting to see usage in 3 months time.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Again last October Cook said they wouldn't be releasing Watch data. So if they're not releasing figures because they're bad then that would mean Cook expected them to be bad last October. That's ridiculous. Apple hasn't released sales figures on the new MacBook either. So I guess that means it's a flop too?

Launching an all new product, especially something like a watch which, unlike a phone, is a bit foreign to especially the younger generations, is always an unknown. Like I said they hedged their bet -- you do that early on and with planning. If the watch turned out to be a blockbuster they could always "undo" the number ban. If they were weak then they could say "we said then we were going to remain silent, and we are keeping that pledge." It's how that game works in business, in politics, in life.

And using the Macbook as an example is disingenuous. 1) it was not built-up as the next big Apple product. 2) it's a subset of a mature line. If one model is a poor seller it doesn't reflect on the entire line or have any materially impact on the Mac line. So if the MB was "flop," who cares. No one expected it to be the "next big thing." 3) Apple does release Mac sales -- no one is asking Apple to release AW sales by model, just in the aggregate.

 

[Paradoxally]

Important detail that you left off from your post: have you used Spotify?

If yes, then you are correct, you're the odd man out. Everyone else who used Spotify previously thinks it's better.

If no, then you belong to the group that concerns me. You're like someone who used IE 6 when Firefox was available, because it was convenient and you'd never had a good internet browsing experience so you just assumed that the bugs were an inherent part of browsing the web. Or you're like someone who uses Windows - you assume the crap that Windows gives you is an inherent part of using a computer.

Your group concerns me because if Apple Music is preloaded with OS X and iOS, people who have never used Spotify might mistake it for the greatest music service ever, and so the actual greatest music service ever might have to shut down.

This is a very, very dangerous statement you're making based off the assumptions of a couple of naysayers in this thread and forum....

Go look at the public opinion and you'll see they will rapidly discredit your universal statement.

And huge laughs at Spotify being the greatest music service ever. The greatest music service ever does not exist.

 

[trife]

Important detail that you left off from your post: have you used Spotify?

If yes, then you are correct, you're the odd man out. Everyone else who used Spotify previously thinks it's better.

If no, then you belong to the group that concerns me. You're like someone who used IE 6 when Firefox was available, because it was convenient and you'd never had a good internet browsing experience so you just assumed that the bugs were an inherent part of browsing the web. Or you're like someone who uses Windows - you assume the crap that Windows gives you is an inherent part of using a computer.

Your group concerns me because if Apple Music is preloaded with OS X and iOS, people who have never used Spotify might mistake it for the greatest music service ever, and so the actual greatest music service ever might have to shut down.

I had Spotify and used it for years. And I never loved it.

HATED the Spotify interface. And as far as discovering new artists, Apple Music destroys Spotify, and it isn't really even close. In my opinion, of course.

 

[threesixty360]

I'm a bit torn really. I like Spotify. I like the fact that they were there first and they started from scratch. I also like the fact that they update pretty regularly and fine tune their interface a lot. I love the big text on the iOS app and the way they make it easy to add new music and just listen to all the latest things you've added. That's just the way i like to hear stuff. I kind of hate throwing things into playlists because i can't remember where I put stuff. Just play the latest stuff or let me shuffle it... anyways..

For a first release Apple Music is ok, but it's not as refined as Spotify. Still Apple favour style over usability. Small fonts / hard to hit buttons, multiple steps to add music (why on earth can't I just add to offline in one click? what's with all the add to music and then a further step to make it available online?). It does sometimes feel that Apple don't actually "use" their apps before they release them because somethings I just obvious. Same thing happened with the Podcast app.

The most annoying thing on Apple music is there is no obvious way to shuffle all your music. I dont get that? Why not just have what you had before, why take it away? Also why can't I list music on the iPhone by last added? Like I can do on the mac version. Thats how I listen to music. It's unlikely that I want to listen to music I added 6 months ago right now, I want to listen to things Ive just added. But the UI so weird it just doesn't let you do that reliably. (I assume I have to create a smart playlist to allow me to do this but it seems you can only do that on iTunes mac, that's and absolute fail).

On the plus side (and a big plus) is the music discovery on Apple Music is out of this world! I've added more new bands and tracks than I've ever added through Spotify. I think the combination of Beats 1 radio and then being able to add the track that is playing to your music library is the killer thing here. And the way it suggests artists and playlists is great. The whole package (beats 1 and Apple Music) seems to provide the best experience as far as actually discovering new stuff. So for that reason I'm tempted to keep it.

Spotify is great if you know what you want already. (i.e. you keep up with blogs and other music sites). Apple Music kind of means you dont have to. All the best stuff comes to you kind of automatically.

Maybe I'll keep both. I have a feeling that Apple will overhaul the UI and make it as good as Spotify's (Like they did with Maps etc..). It's easier for Apple Music to get what Spotify has than vice-versa.

Also, the other thing that people forget about these 11m numbers is that it's not even on Android yet. Spotify is on every device out there. Apple Music is on the latest OS's of iPhones/ipad's where they only have 20% of the market anyway. And in a month or so, they've managed to get 11m people to use the service. That's not bad.
They will triple that when Android gets on board.

The thing is, there is a finite amount of people who are willing to subscribe to a service like this. Spotify are kind of showing a 1 in 4 ratio right now. I dont think that's going to change. I think the pressure for Spotify will be that their ratio will drop if potential new subscribers go to apple because its easier and the brand is strong. Any less than 1 in 4 and I think Spotify is out of business. I expect Apple to follow the 1 in 4 ratio so those 11m will drop to 2.5-3m real subscribers. The million dollar question is if Spotify wasn't free any more how many of the free users would convert to paying? I think Apple music will tell Spotify this over the next year. If both Apple and Spotify exclude freemium that would actually help spotify. I could see that happening next year, spotify being pay only.

I hope both services stay around, its nice to have competition.

 

[Someyoungguy]

I don't get these types of services. I guess I am officially old. If I love something I hear, I buy it, and I don't pay for radio!

 

[Paradoxally]

I had Spotify and used it for years. And I never loved it.

HATED the Spotify interface. And as far as discovering new artists, Apple Music destroys Spotify, and it isn't really even close. In my opinion, of course.

I never hated Spotify, but since it started becoming a corporate monster and changing its UI to something even more confusing than the previous iteration, I longed for something more personal and that allowed for my music to be in one place.

AM offers this. Yes it has flaws. Yes it messes up with album art tagging and stuff. But it does work....eventually. I am noticing now that after fixing its initial problems it has been smooth for over 3 weeks for me, and I keep adding music both from my ripped CDs that get uploaded (e.g. Beatles) and adding new stuff from their catalog every Friday.

Spotify is for the playlist lover. AM has a long way to go until it comes close to the collaboration features Spotify offers. But when it comes to having music in one place and discovery features, Spotify can take a hike.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

So you think last October Tim Cook expected Watch to be a flop? Because that's when he said Apple wasn't going to report any data on it. Apple isn't releasing sales figures for the Watch because they're bad yet they are for Apple Music even though they're bad too? Huh? That makes no sense.

Again, no. You don't seem to "get it." It's NOT that Tim Cook thought the AW was going to be a flop. It's that he did not know WHAT direction the AW was going to go, which is understandable given the product and all its headwinds.

Clearly he did not want to be cocky and come out in 2014 and say "and we know AW is going to be such a huge success that we are going to announce sales number the week after launch," or to say nothing and then the expectation would be Apple would announce #s as the did for the iPhone and iPad. By coming out well ahead and saying "we won't announce" he gave Apple cover if they didn't want to announce #s.

Now most people see through the cover of an over-affectionate dog that just peed in living room and fears his owner won't love him anymore for the mistake. Some cannot.

 

[trife]

Yes and rap and hip-hop are now passé. A Tribe Called Quest The Low End Theory was the last really good album.

Oy vey. Outkast would like to have a word with you, sir.

 

[enthusiastic]

I don't get these types of services. I guess I am officially old. If I love something I hear, I buy it, and I don't pay for radio!

Username checks out.

Beats 1 is free. You don't have to pay for it.

 

[Alenore]

Sure... but that's not what my comment was about.

The earlier poster said Apple Music was under Craig Federighi... not Eddy Cue.

I was just correcting that.

I know, I was just realizing that most of what is not right in Apple offering can be linked to Cue

 

[Alenore]

You have to wait till the first 3 months to end, before you see the real numbers. And having a few millions, less than the currently reported 11 million trials would already be a lot. In what world does millions of people considered few?

In a world where the company that launches the service clearly aims to be the leader, and is largely under comptetitors number, despite a lot of advertising, hiring big names and even buying beats?

 

[Rogifan]

Again, no. You don't seem to "get it." It's NOT that Tim Cook thought the AW was going to be a flop. It's that he did not know WHAT direction the AW was going to go, which is understandable given the product and all its headwinds.

Clearly he did not want to be cocky and come out in 2014 and say "and we know AW is going to be such a huge success that we are going to announce sales number the week after launch," or to say nothing and then the expectation would be Apple would announce #s as the did for the iPhone and iPad. By coming out well ahead and saying "we won't announce" he gave Apple cover if they didn't want to announce #s.

Now most people see through the cover of an over-affectionate dog that just peed in living room and fears his owner won't love him anymore for the mistake. Some cannot.

What constitutes a flop and what doesn't? 2 million? 3 million? To some Wall Street clowns selling 47 million iPhones in a seasonally weaker quarter is a flop. The minute Apple releases quarterly sales figures on the Watch there's a target and a number they have to beat every quarter. Microsoft has never released sales figures for Surface yet many in the tech press and commenters on tech sites and even here claim it's a success.

Quite honestly it wouldn't bother me at all if Apple stopped giving out sales figures for any of their products. Only disclose what is required by the SEC. Nobody cares that Amazon doesn't tell you how many prime members they have or how many Kindles they sold. Nobody cares that Samsung only offers up Galaxy shipments when it feels like it. Why should it be any different for Apple?

 

[Ludatyk]

There's so much dislike for the Apple Music service... You would think that 11 million is fabricated.

But as for me... I enjoy the service. I had signed up for the Family Plan which no other streaming service is unable to match. Although there's plenty of bugs with Apple Music, I like it. And the users of my Family Plan likes it as well.

Apple has the tough task of creating a service that has to appeal to everyone... Some might like it & others might not feel the same. But I think majority will keep the service.

 

[Winni]

Uhhh the streaming and curated playlists include a whole lot of other genres than rap you know?? Or maybe you don't?

Are these the things in the interface that don't work...? At least in the EU? I click on "Radio" in iTunes, then select "Metal", and then I either land somewhere in the iTunes Store (which is not at all what these links are supposed to do) or simply NOTHING happens. And it's been like this since day one. Crappy Beats 1 is about the only thing that seems to work on the "Radio" tab. Not bad for a multi-billion-dollar-mega-corporation. Not bad at all...

 

[Rogifan]

So Eddy Cue talked to CNBC this morning and admitted there were some issues with Apple Music and that they're working to fix them as fast as they can. You know if he had maybe said this a few weeks ago, just send a tweet or something. Or maybe if Apple Music had been launched as a beta people would be more forgiving. But silence doesn't reassure anyone issued are being addressed.

 

[gsmornot]

The most annoying thing on Apple music is there is no obvious way to shuffle all your music.

Go to My Music, select Songs from the pull down, click one you want to play first then turn on shuffle. It will shuffle through your songs.

 

[R1PPER]

You know guys, you dont really need to be this negative. Its a good service it is not as good as spotify but the Radio is top draw wish it was £5 a month as that would make it a no brainer but £10 is alittle expensive.

 

[HenryDJP]

I'm actually surprised. That number seems low considering the free trial and the sheer amount of iTunes users they have. You would think it would be easier to get people to sign up.

Not necessarily. I've been on my 3 month Spotify trial which actually ends tomorrow. Then I'm signing up for the Music trial. There are probably a lot of people that are on a Spotify trial and waiting for it to end first.

Also there are still many people that do not understand what streaming actually is. A friend of mine who is into tech still didn't understand what Spotify and Music actually were and I had to explain to him the point and the benefit of streaming. Most enthusiasts will sign up first and after things catch on then more people will sign up.

 

[ak316]

Apple can easily find out right now how many free trailers have opted out to auto-renew their subscription post trial period. That will give them an idea how many of the freeloaders think Apple Music is any good.

I'm one of the 2m who have subscribed to the family plan and have opted out of auto-renewing, but I hardly use Apple Music as it's rubbish. It OK at recommending music but rubbish at basic management of music, managing downloads on my device, riddled with bugs and the UI generally looks like an unpolished turd. I'll stick to using Spotify and Amazon Music, thank you very much.

 

[bjjp2]

What's the reference in the original article to "we're releasing updates as fast as we can"? I remember one update. Have there been any others?

 

[xmichaelp]

11 million Apple Music free trial users / 800 million iTunes account holders = ~1.4%

Spotify has 75 million users of which 20 million pay.

Nothing to brag about Eddy.

Spotify has also been around for years and still doesn't make a profit. Spotify will be dead before long.

 

[HenryDJP]

Signed up on day one, began losing interest on day two. On day three I bought the album I'd been listening to, haven't used the service since.

Let's see those figures after the trials start to expire, then we'll see just how good your service is Mr cue.

LOL that's odd. Since using my Spotify trial I haven't had one bit of interest to buy an album or a song because I've been able to play virtually any song that I have interest in.