This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Business News Digital
Speculation continues as Apple Music launch looms
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 29 June 2015
So, are you ready? Yes, Apple Music launches tomorrow afternoon (UK time), so if you’re enjoying all this Apple Music speculating everyone’s been doing of late, you need to get it all out of your system today. Go on, do it. Let’s face it, the speculating may be more fun than the final product.
Despite all the chatter and hype, not to mentioned the ads that are slowly emerging, there will still be some surprises within Apple Music once things start to kick off tomorrow, mainly to do with how the different elements of the music service, old and new, fit together.
And also how things will differ around the world in terms of price point and functionality. It’s expected that, as with Spotify, 9.99 will apply in dollars, pounds and euros, despite those three currencies not being in sync value wise (God knows what 9.99 euros will be worth by the end of the week).
Apple’s existing streaming service in the US, iTunes Radio, is seemingly going, with a number of themed ‘radio channels’ of similar ilk set to sit alongside the much hyped Beats1 worldwide radio service within the new platform. Whether that will all apply worldwide or just in the US remains to be seen.
Though perhaps the most interesting thing to see will be how iTunes Match fits in to it all. It’s thought that each user’s existing download collection will sit neatly alongside the Apple Music streaming catalogue. Spotify can also do that, but only on devices where a user’s MP3s are actually stored.
Because of the iTunes Match digital locker service, Apple can extend the download collection to all devices. Which means those who choose not to pay $120 a year after the three month free trial could still get the new radio channels and Connect service while just relying on their existing MP3 collections for on-demand music.
Other nuggets of info coming in as the launch of Apple Music approaches include a raft of celebrity guest hosts for Beats 1; news that there will be an app update for the existing and eventually-to-go Beats Music streaming set up making it easier to migrate over to the new Apple Music platform; and confirmation that talks are underway to bring the new service to Sonos speakers by the end of the year.
And that’s enough speculating for now I think. But enjoy it while you can.
