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Sony Music CEO Confirms Launch of Apple's Music Streaming Service
An anonymous reader writes: Sony Music CEO Doug Morris said in an interview that Apple will announce a new music streaming service tomorrow at its World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC). The new Apple Music service will include subscription streaming music features as well as a revamped iTunes Radio service. "What does Apple bring to this?" Morris said. "Well, they've got $178 billion in the bank. And they have 800 million credit cards in iTunes. Spotify has never really advertised because it's never been profitable. My guess is that Apple will promote this like crazy and I think that will have a halo effect on the streaming business. A rising tide will lift all boats," he added. "It's the beginning of an amazing moment for our industry."
I think he meant a tsunami which will wash everything else away.
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"First things first -- but not necessarily in that order"
-- The Doctor, "Doctor
I think apple is a little late to this. They tried apple radio a couple years ago and it didn't work. insider interviews confirmed that the point was not to get people to listen to the radio, but rather to convert people to buy the songs from itunes. this was patently transparent. At the time I started using pandora and paying $4 through the app store subscription. I have a dozen really cool stations that I have curated through dozens of thumbs up / thumbs down / song seeds. I would need to see something really compelling tomorrow if i'm to be convinced to try something else, let alone in addition.
So, seeing as they are becoming competitors, when will Spotify disappear from the Apple App Store?
What?
Because Apple.
It worked before, why shouldn't it this time?
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
APPLE INNOVATION SURVIVAL KIT
ONLY BREAK SEAL IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
Contents of Packet A: Introduction of new streaming iTunes service.
Contents of Packet B: Introduction of new streaming iTunes service.
Contents of Packet C: Introduction of new streaming iTunes service.
<blink>down the rabbit hole</blink>
OK this is admittedly a guess but it seems likely from their track record that this service will only work with Apple devices.
Why in the hell would anyone want a single-vendor music steaming service? Music isn't specific to Apple (or Sony or Google). I can outright BUY unencumbered mp3 files for so dirt cheap that streaming doesn't make any sense. Why stream when I can just buy them and copy them to whatever device I want, whenever I want, and use them long after the streaming service goes bust?
It makes no sense.
Spotify has never really advertised because it's never been profitable.
So you should only advertise when you're profitable?
If Doug Morris thinks this is a good thing that means it isn't a good thing for the end users.
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
Good question. If there were an answer to it I think the industry would be in a different spot than it is.
It turns out customers greatly prefer streaming music (essentially paying per-play) to buying it. Music downloading is down and streaming is up.
http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
A rising tide will lift all boats," he added. "It's the beginning of an amazing moment for our industry."
Anyone remember Apple Pay with the already available credit card information? Well, according to some, it looks like a dud already. This could well be the same because I for one, have no intention of ever being a subscriber. I am sure I am not alone.
The chief executive of Spotify, Daniel Ek, has predicted that the free online music service will help the industry grow to as much as 10 times its current size, in a future where old distinctions between providers break down.
http://www.theguardian.com/tec...
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
"It's the beginning of an amazing moment for our industry."
I'd appreciate if someone would pull the CEO of Sony out from under his rock and let him know it's the year 2015.
You've got to be fucking kidding me with this. As if no one has ever heard of a streaming music service before.
On a related note (ba dum tiss), must be fun to be a board member for Apple. Fuck it, why not has become the financial motto, especially when identifying cash-on-hand as the justification here.
CEO's are overvalued!!
The signature of my life are the tools.
The internet radio stations don't allow you choose the songs you want to listen to whereas you choose the songs with music streaming services.
But I wonder if the 0.5 cents or whatever per song played given to the song copyright owners is enough money. Suppose iTunes and CD sales became obsolete, would streaming music pay enough to support artists financially?
Yes, changing iTunes to a subscription service is just awesome. Say goodbye to all of the music you bought from iTunes, because Apple is going to delete it all remotely and force you to pay per play now.
If most of the money goes to artists, I'd say better then today.
I've got better things to do tonight than die.
This is an additional service. You will still be able to buy songs and if you have iTunes Match, you will still have your own library of music on your computer and on the cloud.
"It's the beginning of an amazing moment for our industry." Let's see how many years since you bought CBS??? A decade? So money might be nice to have coming in. BUT you're no Apple. Maybe Apples' sauce...strained.