Upcoming 'Apple Music' Streaming Service to Include Three-Month Free Trial

[MacRumors]

Ahead of the introduction of Apple's new streaming music platform, Financial Times has shared some key details about the service, confirming it will be called simply "Apple Music." With the launch of the service, Apple will be largely abandoning its iTunes branding, using the name only for the online store.

As has been previously shared, Apple will not be offering a freemium ad-supported listening tier like Spotify, and will charge $9.99 per month for the service. Apple plans to draw customers in by offering a three-month free trial, much longer than the 30 days competing services offer.

Apple's new music service is built upon Beats Music, its existing subscription service that it acquired last year. Apple executives heavily lauded Beats Music's emphasis on human curation and customization, with many of the features in Beats Music remaining in the new streaming service. For example, the new music service will continue to ask users to select favorite musical genres and styles, and paired with recommendations from artists, Apple hopes to help listeners discover songs.

Apple's iTunes Radio is also being revamped and potentially renamed, as it is being positioned as a free companion service to Apple's streaming music offering. We have previously heard that Apple's new version of iTunes Radio will be aimed primarily at users who are not in the United States, serving as a gateway service to entice people to pay for music.

Apple plans to use well-known DJs and celebrities to present music on its new radio service, and has hired several BBC Radio DJs like Zane Lowe to market the service in Europe.

Some of the celebrities who were photographed wearing Apple Watches ahead of its launch earlier this year, such as rapper Drake, will soon be acting as DJs on Apple's new radio service, which will emphasise the personal tastes of artists over using algorithms to curate music, as Pandora does.

Apple plans to unveil its new music service at its WWDC keynote, taking place on Monday. The new streaming service and the new radio service will both be built into the revamped Music app introduced in iOS 8.4.

Article Link: Upcoming 'Apple Music' Streaming Service to Include Three-Month Free Trial

 

[Mums]

Okay I'll bite, but iTunes Radio never worked right and iTunes Match is a never-ending mess. I listen to all my music on Spotify now, except for SomaFM Drone Zone and Blue Mars Cryosleep which are streaming stations I listen to through iTunes.

 

[The Doctor11]

Nice! I'll take it!

 

[Wreckus]

Why do i have this bad feeling it won't be available in Canada? (which will stink) If that's the case, hello 1 year of Xbox music.

 

[kmj2318]

Not bad. I'm just hoping all my Beats music transitions nicely.

 

[Godzilla71]

Very cool! Plenty of time to really test drive the new service.

 

[AppleWarMachine]

sure, ii'll sign up for this, after my $0.99 for 3 month Spotify premium ends

 

[Black Belt]

Beats looks like Microsoft Zune software.

 

[Andreas Lehrmann]

Won't be available in Germany, as all music-related services...

 

[jonblatho]

Not bad. I'm just hoping all my Beats music transitions nicely.

It's Apple. I wouldn't say it's a sure bet, but I think it's a comfortable assumption that what was there before will remain after.

 

[\-V-/]

Better be good. iTunes Radio gives some awful suggestions. Beats is okay but seriously lacks certain artists.

 

[LordQ]

Nice, if it's available in mexico at launch I'll try it.

Unrelated: Where's the "9" banner?

 

[OllyW]

We have previously heard that Apple's new version of iTunes Radio will be aimed primarily at users who are not in the United States...

Is hell about to freeze over?

 

[MikeyCopeland]

With the launch of the service, Apple will be largely abandoning its iTunes branding, using the name only for the online store.

Does this mean iTunes will also be renamed / replaced in OS X 10.11???

 

[Razeus]

Then they got 3 months to get it right. We all know this will be riddled with bugs, being this is the New Apple. So 3 months time should be plenty, and ends right when iPhone 6S+ launches.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I hope this is a terrific service. 90 days free trial is impressive. However, I would think Apple will dominate the space quickly simply by embedding it into iOS... much like how Maps became the dominate mapping app on iOS by Apple deciding it shall be the default. No faulting 3 months to try it out... just saying it seems like they would get huge share by simply doing the Internet Explorer thing vs. Netscape (make it the default with the OS). For those so hungry for this, I hope you like it!

 

[512ke]

Awesome, I will enjoy using this new service... for exactly 3 months.

Not gonna pay for streaming music, as long services like Pandora are available.

 

[thekeyring]

Still interested to see Apple release an Android app. I think I'll go rewatch the introduction of iTunes for Windows just to prepare.

Edit: Also, "With the launch of the service, Apple will be largely abandoning its iTunes branding, using the name only for the online store." Holy crap! We're living in the future.

 

[bushido]

iTunes Radio blows tho ...

oh well theres always my US iTunes account that i use most of the time anyway

Won't be available in Germany, as all music-related services...

Spotify works fine? theres nothing else u need really and it comes without added data traffic on t-mobile

 

[TyShawn]

I'm still not hearing much about a family plan. I don't see paying 30-50 in music depending on the size of a family. For me it would be 30.00 just to stream music... I think once again I'll pass (people complain about cable rates).

 

[Godzilla71]

Does this mean iTunes will also be renamed / replaced in OS X 10.11???

It would also be nice if they actually split up iTunes with the separation of movies/tv shows and music so it wasn't as bloated.

 

[yesjam]

While iTunes Radio will supposedly be worldwide, I wouldn't count Apple Music out for the Canadian market, for those who are thinking that the implication is that Canada will not get the service. As far as the music industry is concerned, Canada is usually absorbed into the United States from the label's standpoint - in terms of records sold and royalties payable to artists. I can't imagine that, when negotiating with the majors, a grant of permission to Apple for the United States would not include Canada. However, that isn't to say that Canada hasn't been screwed out of the initial release of other Apple services in the past.

 

[bushido]

While iTunes Radio will supposedly be worldwide, I wouldn't count Apple Music out for the Canadian market, for those who are thinking that the implication is that Canada will not get the service. As far as the music industry is concerned, Canada is usually absorbed into the United States from the label's standpoint - in terms of records sold and royalties payable to artists. I can't imagine that, when negotiating with the majors, a grant of permission to Apple for the United States would not include Canada. However, that isn't to say that Canada hasn't been screwed out of the initial release of other Apple services in the past.

but canada never even got iTunes Radio after all these years, did it?

 

[yesjam]

I'm still not hearing much about a family plan. I don't see paying 30-50 in music depending on the size of a family. For me it would be 30.00 just to stream music... I think once again I'll pass (people complain about cable rates).

I can't imagine there wouldn't be some sort of family sharing service as there has been with other Apple services (the App Store, etc.) Or, like Netflix, and to a degree like the iTunes Store, there may be a cap on authorized devices and/or devices simultaneously running the service off of the same Apple ID or family sharing account. Apple knows that you wouldn't pay 30 bucks per month for music (the release of Tidal is probably a good indication of how people feel about a price point over 10/month).

 

[Wreckus]

While iTunes Radio will supposedly be worldwide, I wouldn't count Apple Music out for the Canadian market, for those who are thinking that the implication is that Canada will not get the service. As far as the music industry is concerned, Canada is usually absorbed into the United States from the label's standpoint - in terms of records sold and royalties payable to artists. I can't imagine that, when negotiating with the majors, a grant of permission to Apple for the United States would not include Canada. However, that isn't to say that Canada hasn't been screwed out of the initial release of other Apple services in the past.

Not sure about that as Apple with have to negotiate or accept SOCAN's tariffs, etc. I'm preparing myself to be disappointed on Monday and going somewhere else for my music subscription. 13 bucks or an album or 1.30 for a song vs 10 bucks or 100 bucks a year (xbox) for music subscription in Canada. IMO, the way to go is subscription nowadays. But, I rather give/keep my CC info w/ Apple & MS only.

here's the link for SOCAN http://www.socan.ca/licensees/music-use