Yesterday, the world got its first official look at Apple Music, the newest player to join the streaming music field. To call it a highly-anticipated debut would be an understatement. As befits such a big announcement, the media has come forth with an intriguing mix of thoughts and opinions about what Apple is and isn’t bringing to the table. Here’s a selection of what people are saying about Apple Music.
“Apple has an estimated 800m credit cards on file as of 2014 and a legion of committed enthusiasts who prefer Apple’s user interfaces and devices. It is not hard to imagine how Apple could soon dwarf Spotify’s 15m paid subscribers, once people sign up for the free three months that the firm is offering and grow accustomed to using the service.”
One of the biggest questions around Apple and its late entry to the streaming game is whether it will be able to lure listeners away from the services they already use. The Economist is projecting a positive outcome on that front.
“Apple’s late to the game when it comes to streaming music, and it’s going to throw every feature it can at us until we start buying in. At this (admittedly early) stage, Apple Music feels like a mish-mosh of a disparate elements the company thinks we might want, but whatever it lacks in elegance, it makes up for in presence.”
On the other hand, Engadget is underwhelmed by what Apple is bringing to the table and questioned whether the service as it currently stands can compete against the established brands.
“Will Apple Music have any exclusive content? […] Will the service serve independent and emerging artists better than existing streaming services?”
Those are just two of the questions Billboard still has following the WWDC presentation, ones that we’re hoping will be answered before the big June 30 rollout.
“It remains to be seen whether Iovine, a beacon of the music industry’s golden days, is the right captain to chart the music industry’s future.”
Apple placed a heavy emphasis on the human element in its new service, and the human at the center of the whole project is Jimmy Iovine. VentureBeat noted that while Iovine does have deep ties with the industry, it’s the old-school industry rather than the new one. Will that put Apple at a disadvantage or give it an edge?
“For these giants, music isn’t a way to make money directly. Instead, it’s a reason for users to watch ads on YouTube, pay for Prime, or buy an iPhone—in other words, to support the core businesses of each of these companies.”
That’s from Wired, making the astute observation that despite the elegant rhetoric about the company’s love of music, the choices Apple or any other tech company make about the space are still going to be driven by the bottom line.
“Players on both sides of the industry don’t think Apple Music’s success will be to the detriment of its competitors.”
The best summary of where Apple Music may fall in the grand scheme of the streaming industry comes from The Verge. In its talks with various music execs, the takeaway seems to be that Apple will have some success, but it isn’t going to be a “Spotify killer” or run Pandora out of business any time soon.