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Apple Reportedly Planning Streaming Music Service

Posted by Soulskill on from the everybody-needs-one-of-those-nowadays dept.

Nerval's Lobster writes "Apple plans on taking a big bite of the streaming-music market, according to unnamed sources speaking to The New York Times. Those sources suggested that an Apple streaming-music service would 'probably' center on an app of some kind, and link to iTunes in order to better evaluate the listener's musical interests. In broad strokes, that would make it similar to Spotify, a streaming-music service that also requires an app. Other popular cloud-music hubs, including Pandora and Last.fm, operate primarily as browser-based services. The Wall Street Journal, citing its own unnamed sources, indicated that any Apple streaming service would work on iOS devices such as the iPad, Macs, and 'possibly on PCs running Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system.' In keeping with Apple's intense rivalry with Google, one source added, the service would not appear on Android devices."

5 of 95 comments (clear)

  1. another mediocre ecosystem by alen · · Score: 2, Interesting

    i hated the complete ecosystem crap since MS tried to do it years ago. what happens is that you have a few good products and lots of mediocre ones that are easily beat by smaller competitors.

    same here. iphone and ipad and lots of so so when compared to everyone else.
    amazon is usually better to buy music
    spotify is awesome
    apple is still doing the buy music thing when everyone has moved on to the subscription model

    blu rays are still better than buying locked down digital versions linked to specific products and ecosystems
    amazon and netflix do subscriptions while apple is still a la carte

    same here, i bet apple will come out with some mediocre licensing/rule scheme to make it useless

  2. Seems like a bad move... by Kenja · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Streaming services at a time when bandwidth is being restricted rather then expanded seems like a dubious business decision. That is unless Apple rewrites their service agreements with AT&T & Verizon to stipulate that their streaming services do not count against their customers monthly bandwidth caps.

    --

    "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
    1. Re:Seems like a bad move... by Picass0 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Google does media distribution now through the Play store and they offer cloud based music storage. It wouldn't be surprising to see Google launch a streaming music service.

      What google is doing that Apple is not is test marketing it's own broadband service. If Google Fiber goes nationwide over the next several years Apple and MS both will be scrambling to play catchup.

      Apple wants to take over your music and movie library.

      Google wants to be your new Cell phone, Cable TV, Netflix, and high speed internet.

      Google's battle plan looks more formidable.

  3. Technically they already have a streaming service by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Interesting

    With iTunes Match on, you can stream any music you have to any iOS device.

    So it would be a really small leap to have an app that would let you stream anything in the iTunes catalog.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  4. Re:Highly unlikely. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Around the time that iTunes came out, I was of the same opinion. Napster and Rhapsody all had subscription services to listen to whatever you want, whenever you want and it seemed ridiculous at the time... I wanted to keep my music on my machine/devices.

    Things have changed. Now I almost exclusively use Spotify. The only time I don't is when I'm on the subway because NYC doesn't have cell service down there.

    With the massively popularity of streaming services, I don't see this as a bad move at all.