Jimmy Iovine Allegedly Planning to Leave Apple in August [Updated]

[MH01]

If that means that Apple Music app will become more user friendly and not a thing that looks and functions like it was made by some complete idiot, then i'm really happy for this.

I don't see how he has been holding Apple back from improving the UI - that's all apple. He got them the contacts and connections, he did not bring his own poor UX designers

 

[Machead2012]

Where are you Ron Fair?

I believe he is in Nashville living a nice relaxed and healthy life. Talented guy.

 

[TsMkLg068426]

You can also take Taylor Swift with you please tired of her controlling Apple ruining good music.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Great! He was not a good fit or a good look.

Goodbye Iovine, you will not be missed.
It took 2+ years but it's a good thing Apple realized their mistake and fired him.

Man you guys are pathetic.

Not a good fit? maybe if Eddie Cue's vision disagrees but this should've been KNOWN by Apple from the very start of purchasing Beats Inc. Dumb moves without foreseeing this.

Not a good look?
- Do you even listen to what you say/type? Do you really think Apple cares that deeply what it's employees 'LOOK' like? Then again whom am I talking to ... in this age of Apple they probably do.

To be honest Apple gained a LOT from Iovine and Dre.

PS: I'm surprised not many are wishing him to stay and calling for Dre to leave; socking.
[doublepost=1515183025][/doublepost]

Everyone responsible for the current state of iOS Music.app and iTunes should be fired.

So you're calling for a LOT of people here:
Cue, Ive, Cook, all the Apple developers that work on MusicKit ... let's not forget how that will affect apps to using API's for your music on your iPhone or in Car Play.

Which, coincidentally, he had a hand in creating that trainwreck....all the while jumping on his soap box telling everyone how bad everyone else’s music apps were. He’s a clown.

Since there is a clash ... for all we know it could be Eddie Cue and a few others that are responsible for the trainwreck that Apple Music currently is.

Thank God. And there are still people out there claiming the Beats acquisition was brilliant. Good grief.

I'm curious if you have specifics on how it was not brilliant?

 

[itguy06]

Totally agree. People trashing Jimmy but what was before his arrival? iTunes Radio anyone? How quickly people forget!

iTunes radio was good. Free with ads and introduced me to music I'd otherwise not listen to. I've not used Apple Music beyond the trial.

 

[dv8r]

To be honest Apple gained a LOT from Iovine and Dre.

What did Apple gain from Iovine and Dre?

 

[telecine]

Good riddance to bad rubbish...

 

[Wildkraut]

Looks like he has enough of these greedy crooks that likes to fool customers.

 

[organisum]

delete

 

[Mainyehc]

Other examples of this can be found in Apple history. Remember Ron Johnson, head of Apple retail? Fine while we was within the bubble but then the crowd turned on him when he departed. His replacement was relatively welcomed until Apple realized that was not a great match, let it become known and then the crowd turned on him too going out the door and after he was gone.

You mean John Browett? The ex-Dixons boss who our fellow forum-dwellers from the UK pointed out was likely a terrible fit (because Dixons, as it turned out, offered a horrid shopping experience during his tenure), from the moment his hiring by Apple was announced by the media?

Either you weren’t hanging around here in the forums back then, or you have a terrible memory, because “relatively welcomed” he was most certainly not.

 

[Soccertess]

Well you are in the minority since Mac unit sales are consistently beat by iPads and iOS devices in general. Proving that people really aren't interested in having a traditional computer anymore. They will still be necessary. But Steve called it 8 years ago. Traditional computers are now the trucks. Like it or not, those are the facts.

Btw, Apple has always been a design focused company. No headline news there. So what exactly is your point they are a "fashion first, tech second company?". People love the Airpods (they cant keep them in stock) as well as apple watches (number one watch in the world sales wise , number one tech watch), iPads outsell macs, tens of millions scooping up new iphones.

Apple still makes the most easy to use products in general, which is why people buy them. The "status symbol" argument is very 2005. Get with it. People love the products for a reason. And its NOT because its simply a status symbol.

Vote with your dollars, if you really hate Apple that much, stop giving them money.

i think the 10k apple watch nullifies your agreement

 

[Gameboy70]

I don’t understand the hate. His résumé is quite astounding.

The most scorned Apple execs are invariably the least technical ones, particularly in biz dev and marketing—Angela, Phil, Eddie, Tim, etc. No one on the outside imagines that they do anything useful in a tech company.

 

[magicman32]

You mean John Browett? The ex-Dixons boss who our fellow forum-dwellers from the UK pointed out was likely a terrible fit (because Dixons, as it turned out, offered a horrid shopping experience during his tenure), from the moment his hiring by Apple was announced by the media?

Either you weren’t hanging around here in the forums back then, or you have a terrible memory, because “relatively welcomed” he was most certainly not.

He lives in this alternate reality where everyone is an Apple fanboy and he tilts the narrative to favor that. It’s his “schtick”. Even though it (mostly) not true. There seems to be (at best) a 50/50 split between Apple support/hate. I actually would hedge its more titled AGAISNT Apple at this point. And that’s fine. I buy what I like. Stay away from what I don’t.

Re: Iovine. He was legit. I don’t know how anyone with any sense of music history can knock this guy for anything.

 

[Abazigal]

I don't have any "hate" for the guy. But IMO, Apple's attempt to delve into the streaming subscription music scene and its acquisition of Beats were both poor decisions. So basically, everyone involved heavily in either of those things are folks I'm happy to see showing themselves out the door at Apple.

As far as I'm concerned, this idea of paying monthly fees to retain permission to stream or listen to the tracks you downloaded from the service is garbage. It was foisted upon people as "the way of the future" - but nothing about it has been good. The music industry itself has suffered under the business model, because it cheapens the value of an artist's work. Practically everyone I know who really loved music has fond recollections of going to that record store and buying the physical tape, LP or CD of their favorite artist, reading through the included liner notes, and proudly adding it to their collection on a shelf or storage rack someplace, where it was on display for everyone to see.

With the idea, now, that all the popular music ever created just sits in some vast "pool" where you can listen to any and all of it, on demand, as long as you're current on some monthly subscription? There's just a psychological change in how much respect a person has for a given album. The artists making it have just as much work to put into the project as ever, but that doesn't come across as well to the listener anymore. When you actually purchased the albums you wanted, you found yourself listening to THOSE songs much more often - because that's what you owned. When it's all equally accessible with a mouse click, it becomes information overload. And if the music service you're on decides to stop carrying an artist's music or album, it's just lost to you.

When Apple Music did such a clunky job of providing the music, on top of those inherent negatives? I can't help but cheer on the exit of the folks responsible. That's all. I wish Iovine well in his future endeavors.

I think there have been both pros and cons to this music streaming model.

I am one of those who have never bought a single CD because I wasn't really a music listener. To me, there is utility in being able to instantly access any song I want. For example, when I needed songs for my students' graduation party, I just picked a playlist from Apple Music and streamed it live from my iPad. These are songs I am not interested in and will likely never spend my own money acquiring. I don't have to waste time or space managing my music. It's all there when I want it.

I am also not sure why you think Beats was a such a bad acquisition. Apple needed a music streaming service, and in one fell swoop, Apple got one, in addition to a profitable headphone brand and the personnel required to run it. Makes more sense than acquiring Spotify at any rate. You would be paying too much for a user base you can't retain, and all their debt, plus none of the expertise.

I mean, how would you have done it? Apple entered the streaming market late because they were unwilling to give up their profitable iTunes market, but it was clear that this was where the market was headed. Apple would likely have stood to lose more from not entering the market.

 

[AdonisSMU]

I don't have any "hate" for the guy. But IMO, Apple's attempt to delve into the streaming subscription music scene and its acquisition of Beats were both poor decisions. So basically, everyone involved heavily in either of those things are folks I'm happy to see showing themselves out the door at Apple.

As far as I'm concerned, this idea of paying monthly fees to retain permission to stream or listen to the tracks you downloaded from the service is garbage. It was foisted upon people as "the way of the future" - but nothing about it has been good. The music industry itself has suffered under the business model, because it cheapens the value of an artist's work. Practically everyone I know who really loved music has fond recollections of going to that record store and buying the physical tape, LP or CD of their favorite artist, reading through the included liner notes, and proudly adding it to their collection on a shelf or storage rack someplace, where it was on display for everyone to see.

With the idea, now, that all the popular music ever created just sits in some vast "pool" where you can listen to any and all of it, on demand, as long as you're current on some monthly subscription? There's just a psychological change in how much respect a person has for a given album. The artists making it have just as much work to put into the project as ever, but that doesn't come across as well to the listener anymore. When you actually purchased the albums you wanted, you found yourself listening to THOSE songs much more often - because that's what you owned. When it's all equally accessible with a mouse click, it becomes information overload. And if the music service you're on decides to stop carrying an artist's music or album, it's just lost to you.

When Apple Music did such a clunky job of providing the music, on top of those inherent negatives? I can't help but cheer on the exit of the folks responsible. That's all. I wish Iovine well in his future endeavors.

Just reads like people who couldn't let go of the past. Oh well. 2016 and 2017 are the first years the music industry increased its revenues since 2000. So....

 

[Floris]

Let's all pretend we're surprised that this guy does this. Awwwww reaaaallly?
.. i remember when i posted he is only there to get paid and will bugger off as soon as the contract allows him, and loads of people jumped on me.

well ..

 

[DeepIn2U]

What did Apple gain from Iovine and Dre?

Streaming music presence with several million paying subscribers already. An infrastructure for streaming music. A great global brand for music headphones and speakers with top athletes for marketing. Beats is THE most popular headset brand in the world and has been for a few years now at least for the 14-24yr old demographic range. Expertise for wireless Bluetooth music playback.

Apple thus far launched:
Airpods which is 2yrs after Beats acquisition unless I’m mistaken.
Launched Beats X product I’m sure developed by Apple.
Great music deals with artist surely negotiated by Iovine.
Dre - a business brawler. Lol. All joking aside Dre is an accomplished producer and I’m very shocked that Apple hasn’t begun signing New Artists on a global scale upon a new production and distribution label. This still could happen in 2018. Considering iTunes, GarageBand, and Logic this is just evolutionary to their existing music business and reach.

There is a big reason why Apple didn’t purchase Spotify which is only now coming to light that Spotify is trying to rush for an IPO. Smule creator is already heavily in bed with apple and has been featured WWDC and special event attendee honouree for the past 4yrs.

So what’s your rebuttal as to why it was NOT a good purchase?

 

[dv8r]

So what’s your rebuttal as to why it was NOT a good purchase?

As long as we are talking brand and brand value, You'll get no argument from me - Beats managed to build a rather strong brand and build up a fan-base, that's what Apple paid for. Personally I'm not a fan of the products, but that is a matter of personal taste.

Since Beats outshopped most, if not all of their product development efforts, none of Your other points are something that can be attributed directly to either Iovine, Dre or Beats for that matter. Beats had no groundbreaking technology on their hands and if a music streaming service was what Apple was after, there were several other potential acquisition targets out there. One of the main reasons given at the time was that Iovine was a deal-maker, something he has proven not to be in any serious way - it still looks like deals are going through Cue and Apple TV is still a dud to this day.

I hear both Apple loyalists and their Execs spending much time badmouthing Spotify, but fact of the matter is that it's larger and more popular than Apple Music and in hindsight may have been the better option...

 

[DeepIn2U]

As long as we are talking brand and brand value, You'll get no argument from me - Beats managed to build a rather strong brand and build up a fan-base, that's what Apple paid for. Personally I'm not a fan of the products, but that is a matter of personal taste.

Since Beats outshopped most, if not all of their product development efforts, none of Your other points are something that can be attributed directly to either Iovine, Dre or Beats for that matter. Beats had no groundbreaking technology on their hands and if a music streaming service was what Apple was after, there were several other potential acquisition targets out there. One of the main reasons given at the time was that Iovine was a deal-maker, something he has proven not to be in any serious way - it still looks like deals are going through Cue and Apple TV is still a dud to this day.

I hear both Apple loyalists and their Execs spending much time badmouthing Spotify, but fact of the matter is that it's larger and more popular than Apple Music and in hindsight may have been the better option...

Hmm. Can't argue with that.

Apple TV I personally love ... I'm basic with my needs. Although the remote NEEDs improvment ... pressing the TV icon button twice does NOT go to the main home any longer, not since that TV app was forced out which I hate.

Where else do you see Apple TV failing? Maybe for another more relevant thread.

 

[Sevendaymelee]

He knows the streaming idea is a sinking ship and wants off now before it's too late. It was a great concept, but the money isn't there. The industry is going to have to figure out a way to get people to buy records again.

 

[Rogifan]

Streaming music presence with several million paying subscribers already. An infrastructure for streaming music. A great global brand for music headphones and speakers with top athletes for marketing. Beats is THE most popular headset brand in the world and has been for a few years now at least for the 14-24yr old demographic range. Expertise for wireless Bluetooth music playback.

Apple thus far launched:
Airpods which is 2yrs after Beats acquisition unless I’m mistaken.
Launched Beats X product I’m sure developed by Apple.
Great music deals with artist surely negotiated by Iovine.
Dre - a business brawler. Lol. All joking aside Dre is an accomplished producer and I’m very shocked that Apple hasn’t begun signing New Artists on a global scale upon a new production and distribution label. This still could happen in 2018. Considering iTunes, GarageBand, and Logic this is just evolutionary to their existing music business and reach.

There is a big reason why Apple didn’t purchase Spotify which is only now coming to light that Spotify is trying to rush for an IPO. Smule creator is already heavily in bed with apple and has been featured WWDC and special event attendee honouree for the past 4yrs.

So what’s your rebuttal as to why it was NOT a good purchase?

This is just spin that could’ve been written by an Apple employee. Beats Music had several million paying subscribers? Maybe Beats headphones were the most popular years ago but is that still the case? How would we know as no one releases sales figures for headphones. What I can say is a few years ago if you walked into a Best Buy the headphone section was like 90% Beats. I was at a Best Buy over the holidays and Beats occupied a small section while premium brands like AKG, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Audio-Technica, B&O etc. were prominently featured. Even Sony had as big of a display as Beats. And as far as great music deals with labels/artists, that’s just speculation. Prior to Apple acquiring Beats I don’t remember anyone in the tech world or Wall Street saying Apple should buy this company. Many were suggesting Netflix, Tesla, Dropbox, Nest. I’m still not convinced Apple needed Jimmy Iovine to get a streaming service off the ground. And if they wanted to get in the headphone business in a real way they didn’t need Beats to do it. Look at how successful AirPods are. Zero Beats branding.

 

[Teammm]

Goodbye Iovine, you will not be missed.
It took 2+ years but it's a good thing Apple realized their mistake and fired him.

"Iovine...has been heavily involved in with Apple Music since its 2015 launch and has negotiated many of the streaming deals for the service."

"Under Iovine's leadership, Apple music has seen strong growth since its debut, with the service now boasting more than 30 million subscribers."

.... umm where was the mistake? ...and it states that he "allegedly" is choosing to leave...not being fired...and it's not for sure that he is leaving. Jimmy is a music industry genius.

 

[themastermind]

I'm not surprised. I knew when he came on board that it would be short lived.

 

[DeepIn2U]

This is just spin that could’ve been written by an Apple employee. Beats Music had several million paying subscribers? Maybe Beats headphones were the most popular years ago but is that still the case? How would we know as no one releases sales figures for headphones. What I can say is a few years ago if you walked into a Best Buy the headphone section was like 90% Beats. I was at a Best Buy over the holidays and Beats occupied a small section while premium brands like AKG, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Audio-Technica, B&O etc. were prominently featured. Even Sony had as big of a display as Beats. And as far as great music deals with labels/artists, that’s just speculation. Prior to Apple acquiring Beats I don’t remember anyone in the tech world or Wall Street saying Apple should buy this company. Many were suggesting Netflix, Tesla, Dropbox, Nest. I’m still not convinced Apple needed Jimmy Iovine to get a streaming service off the ground. And if they wanted to get in the headphone business in a real way they didn’t need Beats to do it. Look at how successful AirPods are. Zero Beats branding.

Lol my writings as a potential PR piece by Apple? I’m humbly flattered.

No, it is most definitely not. That said a few short years ago, you yourself admitted to just how popular Beats was as an audio accessory brand is. Heir streaming service ran very well - you could search and find the information it’s on the internet and was decently comparable to Spotify as it too was in early stages of paid subscriber uptake.

The key here may not be just the audio accessory component or Iovine signing deals of artists but it was a connection to the industry where artists would potentially more easily collaborate with backing from Apple for exclusive concert coverage (I’m guessing here), maybe other deals as well.

Since nobody in this thread is suggesting an alternative to Beats acquisition at hat same timeline does state something.

BestBuy cycles through brands for products they offer based on demand. It’s cyclacable yearly. Beats has captured a lot of the market in a global scale not just your local store. There are even copycats now being sold and advertised in the bodybuilding industry.

Buying Tesla would NOT be a smart idea for Apple : the overhead before turning a profit for years still would not sit well with large investors or even with the board. Not to mention production failing nightmares would eat up Apple cash hoard within a very short time. Tesla hell no. Further it’s not a consumer electronics product it’s a vehicle and thus carries all the government regulatory hurdles and legality nightmares that could happen with self drivin software failures. Tesla barely got away with the most recent local battle.

Model 3 anyone? Model 3, model 3 ... he was here yesterday .... maybe production will pick up and finally be on target this summer.

 

[benroberts3]

You want Spotify to fail ?

I guess he is that detrimental to the streaming music industry.