Apple’s Q3 2017 financial results contained some surprises, including on-year revenue spikes in several segments. The services division, which includes Apple Music subscriptions and other digital content, posted a record high revenue of about $7.27 billion. CEO Tim Cook said the results marked “an all-time quarterly record for services revenue.” Continue Reading
Apple’s mobile devices have been keystones of its product family for much of its present-day business. In 2017, we are seeing the shifts in where Apple is putting its resources and what it views as trends for music, where the company has long worked to position itself as a leader. First, this year marked the 10-year anniversary of the iPhone. Second, Apple has discontinued both the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Podcast ads hitting a paradigm shift; streaming and diamond certification; the surprising inspiration behind Apple earbuds. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Podcasts at twice the speed spark debate. Will Apple ever offer podcast creation tools? SoundCloud shuts down volunteer “archive” project. Continue Reading
At WWDC last month, Apple did announce plans to add a new social layer to its streaming music platform. The company’s previous efforts to add connection features in the app have been shaky at best. But Apple Insider has posted some screenshots from the beta of iOS 11 showing the social tools in action, and so far it seems like a more manageable and less obtrusive implementation. Continue Reading
The New York Post’s Claire Atkinson has put SoundCloud back into headlines. The streaming platform has been rumored as a sale target for months on and off. The Post is now reporting that “a host of players” are currently interested in taking over the company. Sources have most recently pointed to Deezer and Apple as possible buyers, with private equity firms also allegedly in the running. Continue Reading
Audio app Anchor announced that it now offers distribution to podcast platforms. The burgeoning audio program lets people record short clips onto their phone. Those clips were confined only to the Anchor app, but now users can choose to publish their audio recordings to Apple Podcasts and Google Play Music. Continue Reading
Apple is reportedly looking to renegotiate its deals with record labels in a move that could reduce the share of revenue it needs to pay out to those industry players. Unnamed sources told Bloomberg that the talks cover both Apple Music and iTunes. The current deals are slated to expire in June, but could be extended if new terms are not reached, according to the sources. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: A deep dive into composing podcast music. A year of Apple Music for $99. Apple hires Breaking Bad duo. Continue Reading
The latest blog post from Amplifi Media CEO Steve Goldstein reviews the updates Apple has announced for its podcast service. Analytics have arrived. Continue Reading
Bozoma Saint John has left her role as global head of consumer marketing at Apple Music and iTunes, marking a major departure for the streaming service. Neither Saint John nor Apple have commented on the exit or what her next move will be and whether it will still be in music at large or digital platforms more specifically. Continue Reading
This year’s WWDC announced Apple’s foray into WiFi speakers, bringing it into direct competition once again with Google and Amazon for control over music and audio in your home. The new device is called HomePod, and it will retail for $349. The initial launch is this December for the U.S., the UK, and Australia, with a broader global rollout next year. Continue Reading