• DOJ Investigating Apple Pressuring Labels to End Free Spotify Streaming

    If anyone isn't convinced that streaming is the next frontier of music, the developments behind the scenes occurring right now in 2015 should be enough to show them otherwise. Apple has been busy lately revamping Beats Music, the streaming arm of Beats, which they purchased for $3 billion last May and some details have leaked out to the press about what the future of Apple music is starting to look like. The Silicon Valley giant is making some aggressive moves to leverage its size in the industry and according to recent reports, it may have overstepped the boundaries with a DOJ investigation pending on Apple's pressuring the major's to end free streaming on Spotify. It has also reportedly lobbied Universal Music Group to take down its music from YouTube.

  • Apple Targets T. Swift, Florence + The Machine for Streaming Service

    The war between streaming services is growing more intense by the day, and the new battleground, seemingly broken by TIDAL, is exclusive content by artists and content partners. According to a new Bloomberg report, Apple is making its move to try and gather some exclusives of its own, targeting major pop stars like Taylor Swift, Florence + The Machine and more than a dozen other artists.

  • Apple and Beats Music May Face Antitrust Investigation for Pressuring European Record Labels

    The European Commission is reportedly preparing for an investigation of Apple with regard to its forthcoming relaunch of Beats Music streaming service. The Hollywood Reporter indicates that questionnaires have been sent out to several European music labels, which is usually an indication that someone has filed a complaint and may be followed by an antitrust investigation.

  • Apple and Beats Looking To Rival Spotify: New Report Details Silicon Valley Giant's Attempt To Modernize Streaming Service

    Apple appears to be in the process of making one of the most drastic changes to its music divisions in years. Rumors and theories have been floated out there about the $3 billion acquisition of Beats Music and the industry has a pretty good idea of what the Silicon Valley giant plans to do, but a new report by the New York Times explains in more detail what the acquisition is shaping its music strategy. According to the report, Apple is attempting to rebrand and totally overhaul is own streaming platforms to compete with other services like Spotify.

  • Zane Lowe Explains His Decision to Leave BBC Radio 1

    News surfaced recently that Zane Lowe would be leaving BBC Radio 1 to take a position with Apple. The announcement came as a surprise to fans and even Lowe himself sounded a little unsure of the move in a recent interview with The Guardian. The host joined the BBC in 2003 to take over the evening show and his tenure will come to an end next month. He is reportedly joining Apple to work on the company's new radio service.

  • Zane Lowe Leaving BBC Radio 1 to Work at Apple

    Apple is adding a big name to its crew in March. BBC Radio 1 host Zane Lowe will be leaving his longtime DJ position to work with the tech company in a new, unknown role. The move will end Lowe's impressive 13-year run at the radio station where he became one of the most respected names in the business.

  • Apple Reportedly Stopped iTunes 'Single of the Week' Promotion

    In appears that Apple has started out the year by quietly making a pretty big change to the iTunes music store. As has been reported by fans in other jurisdictions, like the U.K. and Italy, it seems as though Apple as phased out the free "Single of the Week" feature that was prevalent on the iTunes homepage over the past 10 years. The feature has been a blessing and a curse, allowing artists to promote their music in one of the most trafficked music services on the Web with a free download, but also loads up music libraries with random songs that may never pan out. The free download has been a feature since 2004, but Apple kicked off 2015 without the free downloads, and it appears to be gone for good. As pointed out by "Business Insider," an Apple forum post discusses the issue and several commenters chime in on the subject. One "Bob Foss" claims to have had a discussion with an Apple employee who confirmed that the feature was indeed gone. "I contacted iTunes Support and they told me the decision was made to drop the free Single of the Week. Seems they don't want people browsing the Store anymore. I told them that the free single each week got me to the Store and I usually bought a few songs. Now, there's less reason to go. They've stopped the free single in other countries too," says Bob Foss. The end of the free single makes sense for Apple, as it looks to capitalize on its move in acquiring Beats Audio and Beats Music in May 2014. The move for Beats Music signals a shift toward streaming, ahead of downloads, and recognizes the new climate in the industry — remarkable for a service based on downloads. The square that was used for free downloads appears to have been filled with iTunes radio premieres, which are streams in their own right and serve audio ads.
View More
Festivals
Popular Now
Real Time Analytics