Apple has launched its long-awaited music-streaming service, and announced improvements to iOS and Mac OS X. David Crookes takes a closer look at what’s new
What's Apple done now?
Apple held its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) which, if you've never seen one, typically involves its CEO Tim Cook taking to the stage in front of an excited audience to gush about the company’s new products and services. This year’s conference was particularly noteworthy for confirming some long-standing rumours, chief among them the launch of a new music streaming service called Apple Music.
What's so special about this one?
According to Mr Cook, Apple Music "will change the way you experience music forever”, although the way it works -allowing you to stream an unlimited number of songs for a monthly subscription fee - is similar to many services that have been around for a while, most notably Spotify (www.spotify.com/uk). Not that Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek appears overly concerned about the competition. Following Apple’s announcement, he tweeted simply, "Oh ok", although he did delete this soon afterwards.
What are the key Apple Music features?
Most importantly, there are lots of songs: around 30 million, which is roughly the same number as Spotify. These can be listened to online and off, and you can also add your own tracks to your library. Songs you’ve ripped from CDs and purchased from the iTunes store are added automatically. There are also tens of thousands of music videos, all without adverts, and recommendations based on your tastes. New artists and albums are being added every week and there are curated playlists, too.
Why has Apple become involved in music streaming?
Most likely because it seems to be the way the music industry is heading. In May this year, Warner Music reported that revenue from streaming music had overtaken profits from digital downloads for the first time. Up until now, Apple's iTunes has been all about purchasing downloads and there was a risk that it could be left behind by rival services. So last May, it bought Beats Electronics from hip-hop artist Dr Dre for $3bn, which included the company’s recently launched music-streaming service.
Can I listen to every song on iTunes?
No. The company has said that users can stream from the Apple Music library, not the iTunes music library, and there will be some notable exceptions including The Beatles. There are more than 37 million songs on iTunes, so around seven million won't be streamable.
Why not just stick with Spotify?
Well, exactly. Both services have a monthly fee of £9.99 in the UK, and Spotify benefits from nine years' experience in this market, Spotify is also popular - it revealed in early June that it has 20 million paying subscribers and it is in healthy form, looking to rise against Apple Music by hunting for exclusives and seeking to match Apple Music’s family plan, which lets up to six people share an account, Spotify has also upped its free trial period to 60 days. But that’s still short of the three months being offered by Apple Music, and Spotify is beaten hands down by Apple’s accompanying Beats 1 and Connect services.
What is this Beats 1 thing?
Beats 1 is a global radio station broadcast from New York, Los Angeles and London that will also be available to anyone signed in with an Apple ID, as well as Apple Music subscribers. It will be fronted by former Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe and Rinse FM’s Julie Adenuga, and other well-known names (to young music fans, at least!). This live-streaming feature sets Apple Music apart from its competitors and gives traditional radio stations a run for their money, too, Lowe is very well connected and the station provides extra kudos to Apple - badly needed following the furore last year when U2’s new album found its way to 500 million users, whether they wanted it or not.
How does Connect work?
Connect is the social part of Apple Music, which allows musicians to communicate with fans in a variety of ways including photos, lyrics and videos. They can also post songs. Users can leave comments on the artists’ own profile pages and get responses. Unsigned artists can also upload songs and interact.
When is Apple Music out?
Now. It was launched on 30 June for the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac and Windows PC, although Android users will need to wait until autumn to use it. It can be synced to an Apple Watch and will also be compatible with Apple TV, Anyone with a Beats Music subscription can move it over to Apple Music.
Does it have a free option?
Yes, but this only offers Beats 1 and Connect. If you’re using Apple Music on Android, when it finally launches that version, you won’t get anything for free. That’s unlikely to lure users from Spotify but we're still confident that Apple knows what it’s doing.