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iTunes Chief Eddy Cue: 'We're All In' on Original Content
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I came here to say this exact same thing.....except now I can add "Planet of the Apps" to the "Apple isn't going to buy a company like Netflix or Disney, though, because the focus is not quantity, it's quality. "You need to have a great story,"
What is it Cue is getting paid for? Public appearances? Damage control? It's certainly not making Siri/iTunes/AppleMusic any better.
Production values aside, "quality programming" is very subjective. There's countless "low budget" shows that have audiences. Interestingly, some of Netflix's most expensive productions (e.g. Marco Polo) were relative failures. Netflix seems very aware of the polar tastes of its subscribers and tries to satisfy them all, rather than cater to a singular standard.
The US Supreme Court has said otherwise Eddy.
Somebody once said to judge people on the content of their character, not the colour of their skin.
Many here have mentioned aspects of Cue’s character that they do not like, based on what they’ve seen in keynotes and interviews. You’re the first to mention the colour of their skin.
To blindly accuse posters of racism just because the person they were talking about isn’t white, then that is creating boundaries rather than breaking them down. Isn’t that ironic.
Perhaps you could engage in some positive discourse rather than projecting your own views onto others and putting words in their mouths. If you have something positive to say about Cue, that would have been a better place to start.
Only if they do it wrong. Why do studios produce content if it's not profitable, and why is NFLX worth anything if they can't ever pay off the debt?
It'd only make sense if for some reason a tech company were less able to produce content than certain other companies, which I think isn't the case because they can always acquire other companies and the talent that comes with them. In fact, this is such a classic situation with big corps that it's considered a threat that's subject to anti-trust scrutiny. The other thing that breaks them up is disruption from new companies that see something they don't, but tech companies now have a strong culture of innovating or buying startups to make that less and less likely.
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Too bad you can't buy out the GNU community. Or can you? Maybe everyone except Stallman.
Apple iTunes music chief Eddy Cue is at the SXSW conference today, where he sat down for an interview with CNN's Dylan Byers to discuss media, entertainment, and why curation matters.
The major announcement of the event was Apple's pending acquisition of magazine subscription service Texture, which will be integrated into Apple News, but Cue also shared some insight into Apple's original content plans, and much of what he said has been shared on Twitter.
According to Cue, Apple News is a unique service because it isn't focused on advertising, so it's not solely providing the news you want to read - it's also sharing news "you should be reading." Cue says Apple can do that because advertising isn't the focus. "We're not trying to get you to read so we can serve you more ads," he said. "We want to give you a bit of serendipity to see all of what's out there," he added.
On the topic of Apple's content plans, Cue said the company is "all in." "We're completely all in," he said. Apple isn't going to buy a company like Netflix or Disney, though, because the focus is not quantity, it's quality. "You need to have a great story," he said, while also teasing technology that will be a "surprise" to users.
Apple searched for the right people to run an original content team for two years before finding former Sony executives Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht. Cue says Apple was after someone who "really knew the business but was also willing to think about it differently." Since hiring Van Amburg and Erlicht last year, Apple has inked deals for more than 10 TV shows, many with high-profile actors, producers, and directors.
"We're making big investments," said Cue. "Money isn't an issue." Apple's original content team has grown to about 40 people over the course of the last year.
When asked about sports, Cue said that Apple wants to "augment the experience" rather than own sports content, doing things like sending out notifications when a game stats to enhance the viewing experience. "We think there's a huge opportunity," he said, referring to making sports watching a more interactive experience.
Cue also shared new details on Apple Music. The subscription service has grown to 38 million subscribers, with more than 8 million people using the trial service.
Cue commented on the HomePod, which went on sale in February. He said Apple is happy with the initial sales of the device, which is the "best musicologist there is." Cue said Apple is "very proud" of the device.
Echoing statements Apple CEO Tim Cook has made several times over the course of the past year, Cue said Apple is "very, very optimistic" that AR is going to be huge. It's going to be a mainstream product that everyone uses every day.
He declined to give specifics on the topic of AR hardware outside of the iPhone, though, citing a desire to continue working at Apple. "I've worked for Apple for almost 30 years and hope to work for Apple for another 20 years, so I'm not going to answer questions on future products," he said.
Article Link: iTunes Chief Eddy Cue: 'We're All In' on Original Content
Nice guy but he runs everything by Jimmy before making any moves. Apple News is mundane and IMHO they are not an original content company. They should have bought Netflix! (Big Mistake).
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In space.
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iTunes at least did what it was supposed to do. Now it's a mess with streaming, movies, original content inside of Apple Music (which is a mess in itself). As for Apple TV, it hasn't graduated past being a niche product (and I own a couple). It's more valuable for AirPlay than it is as a content box when compared to its rivals.
RE: "When asked about sports, Cue said that Apple wants to "augment the experience" rather than own sports content, doing things like sending out notifications when a game stats to enhance the viewing experience. "We think there's a huge opportunity," he said, referring to making sports watching a more interactive experience. "
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I doubt they have any clue about how-best to Enhance the sports viewing experience !
I doubt any of Apple's Upper Mgmt could name the starting OL for their Fav pro football team, or starting five for even two top NBA teams !
It takes being a Real Sports Fan to know how to improve the sports viewing experience !
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I doubt they have any clue about how-best to Enhance the sports viewing experience !
I doubt any of Apple's Upper Mgmt could name the starting OL for their Fav pro football team, or starting five for even two top NBA teams !
It takes being a Real Sports Fan to know how to improve the sports viewing experience !
Worst products? Perhaps, though I don't fully agree. I would lean more toward "wasted opportunities". Both could be so much more. From my perspective the biggest roadblock Apple has is not it's people or technology... but is instead the culture of "small moves" that allows them to make adjustments every cycle rather than evolutionary leaps.
I do understand that Apple does makes jumps in some areas (e.g. camera on the iPhone/iPad) but overall they don't push the envelope very far. For example, the TV could be so much more than it currently is... but it's taking too long to expose capabilities to 3rd parties and to integrate new technologies. Another example, the HomePod may be a great product, but only for a limited audience. It will take several iterations (years) for it to grow into something that truly competes with the Amazon, Google and Sonos products of today... and by then all three of those will have grown by leaps.
I'm a huge Apple fan but would love to what the product line could be if they pulled out all the stops for a year. It could be amazing.
that sounds logical - but what Netflix has that Apple cannot replicate? Apple has already hired show runners/producers and have money to make and/or outbid anybody on content - you don't need Netflix or Hulu to make TV shows.
Guess I had too much hope for Apple News. What concerns me is where Cue says they’re giving you news “you should be reading.”
I’m applaudin any progress Apple makes. But I’m done with the arrogance by saying that Apple only goes for the best. Tim Cook always says it and now Eddy too. Look at the state of the Mac, maps, Siri, iWork, iCloud, iTunes, etc. Apple is a living proof of being the most expensive doesn’t translate in being the best.
As of today most competitors are offering better products and services for reasonable prices. So please... if you ever shout ‘quality over quantity’ and ‘only focusing on offering the best’ again, be sure you are. These last four + years have been hollow phrases stuck in that never ending pipeline.
I’m really ashamed in what has become of the ‘think different’ Apple and I really wonder how Apple employees see their company today. I surely don’t see any proud any more.
Mr Cook: stop milking and put those profits to work to make Apple great again. It’s an embarrassment today!
As of today most competitors are offering better products and services for reasonable prices. So please... if you ever shout ‘quality over quantity’ and ‘only focusing on offering the best’ again, be sure you are. These last four + years have been hollow phrases stuck in that never ending pipeline.
I’m really ashamed in what has become of the ‘think different’ Apple and I really wonder how Apple employees see their company today. I surely don’t see any proud any more.
Mr Cook: stop milking and put those profits to work to make Apple great again. It’s an embarrassment today!
"...but they will always choose quality". Honest question. What do you think that means and exactly how would they go about choosing quality? As a motto it works fine. Not so much in practical application. Also tons of content doesn't obfuscate standout titles. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime have a ton of content. As does network TV and premium cable. The great content always manages to to rise while crap falls to the wayside. What you did was apply tech terminology and mindset to the entertainment industry as if they're analogous. They aren't. But we agree that Apple will need both quantity and quality.
To be fair iTunes has always been a hot mess. Eddy's just made it worse.
Apple has been slinging the hype and we have yet to see anything of substance. I am ready for action, not more promises.