Later this year, Apple is expected to release it’s own streaming music service. Apple’s iTunes already has powerful music allies in their corner. Is Apple getting it’s own record label?
It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. Apple, with all it’s money and power and influence, could offer to stream music that their competitors can’t touch. I’m talking about competitors like Spotify. Keep in mind, best selling country/pop artist Taylor Swift withdrew her multi-platinum album 1989 from Spotify because of a royalty dispute. What’s to stop her from offering all of her music exclusively to Apple streaming service? Taylor Swift is one of the most popular and influential music stars of her generation. What if other musicians get encouraged make exclusive deals to the Apple brand?
That’s not the only thing streaming competitors have to worry about. Like I said before, look at Apple’s power. iTunes has approximately 800 million customers from over 140 countries. As of January 2015, Spotify only has 60 million users and 15 million subscribers in 60 some nations. Add that to the one billion Apple devices, including the iWatch. Not only is Apple’s new streaming service intertwined with other services like Apple TV, the soon to come streaming service will soon be available on Android products!
I almost forgot, trusted sources speculate the price for the streaming service will be $7.99 a month, two dollars less than competitors like Google Music Play. I’m sure Apple is probably coddling up to music stars now about making their rights totally exclusive to them. But I’m sure Spotify, Google Music Play, and other streaming services are too. The days of the record label, FM radio and physical stores being the triangle of an artist’s bread and butter are all but over. Now, anybody from anywhere can put a You Tube video up and become a star. Remember Susan Boyle or Justin Beiber? Musicians know this and are looking to streaming services to carry out their art. So with all this being said, can Apple really become it’s own record label?