Let's hope that Apple/Google/Amazon don't eventually crush Spotify, that would be a real shame. Competition in this market, especially from cross-platform services, is desperately needed. Apple/Google would have little need to innovate if it weren't for Spotify keeping them honest.
Competition absolutely isn't needed when Apple always presents the clear best solution. Other services are just irritating distractions—the faster that people sign up for Apple Music, and only Apple Music, the better for everyone.
I don't understand why more people don't actively promote this idea. Belaboring this irrefutable truth is dishonesty.
Big money don't care about apple services. 20m subscribers is equivalent to about 200k sold iPhones which is approximately 0.5% of the entire iPhone sales for a quarter. Not a big deal. The issue apple is facing is the expectation of more and more iPhone sales, which are going down YOY.
I’ve said this since the launch of Apple Music, but it seems very clear now. “Music” is no longer in Apple’s DNA—hip-hop is what’s important to Apple. Again, it’s a numbers game. More people are listening to that genre than ever before, so Apple can leave the Rock/Blues/Metal acts to another service and still add subscribers using hip-hop exclusives. It’s actually refreshing to see Apple finally admit it.
People like me with an existing music library that rely on the often non-working iTunes Match are no longer Apple’s market. I even opened up a second Apple Music account to see if iTunes Match would work—it didn’t.
In a lot of ways it makes perfect sense that Apple is building a music service that doesn’t require a music library—there’s less hassle and they don’t have to rely on services like iTunes Match to please those customers. Apple is catering to those customers very well. However, it’s a shame they don’t care about the rest of us any more.
owning large libraries of music and movies is so 1990's
its so liberating not to own hundreds of cd's and dvd's.
When Apple Music first launched and had all kinds of issues they had Jim Dalrymple on campus so fast to fix his issue. Him writing shit about Apple Music is not good for Apple. Apple can give the middle finger to power users and niche customers but a lot of them have been very loyal Apple customers. How loyal are the 20m or so Apple Music customers?
Of course what Apple could and probably should have done is left the music app alone and created a stand alone Apple Music app available for download from the App Store. Then all those users with large libraries who prefer to own their music could continue using the music app and streamers could migrate to Apple Music.
The only thing missing from Apple Music is a browser based player. Don't need to download songs or store offline - just the streaming part. I know a few people who use Spotify in their workplace because they can stream in their browser on work computers (don't have admin rights so can't install iTunes or any other software).
Totally agree with this. Even if they wrapped it up as part of icloud.com I'd be happy. I sent this to Tim Cook awhile back, when Apple Music first launched actually. I hope it comes to fruition one day. For the exact reason you mentioned too, workplace streaming.
I’ve said this since the launch of Apple Music, but it seems very clear now. “Music” is no longer in Apple’s DNA—hip-hop is what’s important to Apple. Again, it’s a numbers game. More people are listening to that genre than ever before, so Apple can leave the Rock/Blues/Metal acts to another service and still add subscribers using hip-hop exclusives. It’s actually refreshing to see Apple finally admit it.
People like me with an existing music library that rely on the often non-working iTunes Match are no longer Apple’s market. I even opened up a second Apple Music account to see if iTunes Match would work—it didn’t.
In a lot of ways it makes perfect sense that Apple is building a music service that doesn’t require a music library—there’s less hassle and they don’t have to rely on services like iTunes Match to please those customers. Apple is catering to those customers very well. However, it’s a shame they don’t care about the rest of us any more.
owning large libraries of music and movies is so 1990's
its so liberating not to own hundreds of cd's and dvd's.
Until they have Apple lossless, it's useless to me. For people who don't care, can't tell the difference, or don't have systems that enable you to tell the difference, these compressed services are fine. Otherwise, they're not. A number of friends subscribe to Tidal's $20 lossless service, and they like the quality of that. I haven't tried it because I don't want to get involved with something that may not be here in a year.
thats true. But you are a niche market. Most don't care about lossless and prefer convenience over ultimate quality. Its the reason why iPods were successful in the first place.
A niche market that spends a lot of money on music every year.
Big money don't care about apple services. 20m subscribers is equivalent to about 200k sold iPhones which is approximately 0.5% of the entire iPhone sales for a quarter. Not a big deal. The issue apple is facing is the expectation of more and more iPhone sales, which are going down YOY.
Not entirely true either way. Subs are now the biggest source of sales for the music industry, and it continues to grow. 20 million subs is $200 million a month, or $2.4 billion a year. It may be a small part of Apple's business, but it's another reason to buy into Apple's ecosystem.
sales of the iPhone are misunderstood by a lot of people. The 6 series were a major size increase for Apple, and sales that year jumped an amazing 48%. The 6s series were down about 15% from that. It's understandable, because a lot of people jumped the gun the year before for the 6 series, and so didn't upgrade the next year. Still, 6s series sales were up 30% from the 5s series. This year, so far, despite a few saying that sales are so so, the general consensus it that sales are doing very well, at least as well as the 6s series. Considering that the oft told rumors are that next year we'll see major changes again, and that it's expected to be a big sales year, we should see sales later in the year taking losses from people buying on the rumors. But it looks that sales will be good for the next 9 months, or so, which is the way with Apple's sales. They taper off as we get closer to the new models.
First, they trashed my music collection... Moved it all to their server and then, when I download "MY' music I get songs with the same title but completely different versions (provided the song is available at all). Plus they removed the genres I had assigned so I can no longer call up say "80's rock" or "Christmas" and play a few hours of my favorite tunes.
Also, my data plan is now always almost max'd out each month from all the downloading. And, when I try to play already downloaded music, I have to do it song by song because my library is so chopped up individual songs from play lists. So, on long road trips, I have to balance the cost of going over my data plan to listening to chopped up music from my download library.
I addition, Apple Music seems mostly focused on the current music scene which, frankly, to me, is mostly not music. If it isn't rap, then its a single singer singing in a monotone over top of a monotone electronic track. Beats adds potential -- but most of the DJ's need to cut down on the caffeine. I want music, not somebody bouncing off the walls...
Yes, I have experienced some advantages to it. But they are counter balanced by the disadvantages -- and the result is mostly a wash... I tried it as an experiment and have been giving myself time to adjust to a different way. But, so far, its hard to justify paying for...
Like the Apple Watch, I wonder if Apple is just getting advice and direction from the wrong people?
ever heard of backing up your music?
You have been doing this in the first place.
Yes, I have heard. And it is backed up. But that didn't stop Apple from removing it from my phone so that I now have to download it from them -- IF they have it in their library and don't replace it with a different version.
Comments
I don't understand why more people don't actively promote this idea. Belaboring this irrefutable truth is dishonesty.
Of course what Apple could and probably should have done is left the music app alone and created a stand alone Apple Music app available for download from the App Store. Then all those users with large libraries who prefer to own their music could continue using the music app and streamers could migrate to Apple Music.
Totally agree with this. Even if they wrapped it up as part of icloud.com I'd be happy. I sent this to Tim Cook awhile back, when Apple Music first launched actually. I hope it comes to fruition one day. For the exact reason you mentioned too, workplace streaming.
sales of the iPhone are misunderstood by a lot of people. The 6 series were a major size increase for Apple, and sales that year jumped an amazing 48%. The 6s series were down about 15% from that. It's understandable, because a lot of people jumped the gun the year before for the 6 series, and so didn't upgrade the next year. Still, 6s series sales were up 30% from the 5s series. This year, so far, despite a few saying that sales are so so, the general consensus it that sales are doing very well, at least as well as the 6s series. Considering that the oft told rumors are that next year we'll see major changes again, and that it's expected to be a big sales year, we should see sales later in the year taking losses from people buying on the rumors. But it looks that sales will be good for the next 9 months, or so, which is the way with Apple's sales. They taper off as we get closer to the new models.
so we really shouldn't be concerned now.