Rumor: Apple deliberately delayed Tidal app updates to help Beats Music relaunch
Apple may be intentionally slowing the release of updates to Tidal's iOS app in an attempt to weaken the music service ahead of an impending relaunch of Beats Music, a report said on Saturday.
Sources in the music industry noted to the New York Post that while Tidal has fallen out of the top 700 iPhone apps in the App Store -- only weeks after its March 30 relaunch -- positioning is affected by downloads. Apple "deliberately took a long time to approve Tidal iOS app updates," which led to slower uptake, one of the sources said.
"Tidal had a new app on Android on April 15, but still hasn't received approval for Apple's iOS app store," the person added.
Another source for the Post said that the vice president of iTunes Content, Robert Kondrk, has told executives at Universal Music Group that artists won't be featured on the iTunes Store if they put out exclusives on Tidal. While that sort of policy is common in the music industry, Apple has allegedly gone to extra lengths to interfere.
One example given was Rihanna, whose song "American Oxygen" premiered on Tidal. That debut appeared to go smoothly, but the same source with information on the Universal talks claimed that Rihanna's songs were "scrambled" and "out of commission for periods of time" on iTunes.
An Apple spokesman told the Post that the charges about Rihanna's catalog are "not true."
Apple is believed to be working on revamping and rebranding Beats Music in an attempt to compete against on-demand music streaming services like Tidal, Spotify, and Rdio. The company could announce a relaunch at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, which begins June 8.
Tidal promises higher-quality audio than most services and more pay to participating artists, and has been backed by high-profile acts like Beyonce, Madonna, Daft Punk, and Jack White. Because of its position in the iOS App Store, however, critics have claimed that Tidal has already bombed.
Rapper Jay-Z, who bought Tidal earlier this year, took to Twitter on Sunday to defend the service. He said for example that the service is doing "just fine" with over 770,000 subscriptions, and that neither Spotify nor the iTunes Store were immediately successful, taking years to grow.
Sources in the music industry noted to the New York Post that while Tidal has fallen out of the top 700 iPhone apps in the App Store -- only weeks after its March 30 relaunch -- positioning is affected by downloads. Apple "deliberately took a long time to approve Tidal iOS app updates," which led to slower uptake, one of the sources said.
"Tidal had a new app on Android on April 15, but still hasn't received approval for Apple's iOS app store," the person added.
Another source for the Post said that the vice president of iTunes Content, Robert Kondrk, has told executives at Universal Music Group that artists won't be featured on the iTunes Store if they put out exclusives on Tidal. While that sort of policy is common in the music industry, Apple has allegedly gone to extra lengths to interfere.
One example given was Rihanna, whose song "American Oxygen" premiered on Tidal. That debut appeared to go smoothly, but the same source with information on the Universal talks claimed that Rihanna's songs were "scrambled" and "out of commission for periods of time" on iTunes.
An Apple spokesman told the Post that the charges about Rihanna's catalog are "not true."
Apple is believed to be working on revamping and rebranding Beats Music in an attempt to compete against on-demand music streaming services like Tidal, Spotify, and Rdio. The company could announce a relaunch at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, which begins June 8.
Tidal promises higher-quality audio than most services and more pay to participating artists, and has been backed by high-profile acts like Beyonce, Madonna, Daft Punk, and Jack White. Because of its position in the iOS App Store, however, critics have claimed that Tidal has already bombed.
Rapper Jay-Z, who bought Tidal earlier this year, took to Twitter on Sunday to defend the service. He said for example that the service is doing "just fine" with over 770,000 subscriptions, and that neither Spotify nor the iTunes Store were immediately successful, taking years to grow.
Comments
Anonymous sources are a cop out. If they want to attack Apple's integrity, they should show themselves.
If this is true, Apple and the music business are about to part ways. The DOJ will take Apple to court. It doesn't matter if Tidal fails or not.
That said, I find it hard to believe that one of the most secretive companies in the world would be this dumb.
Horseshit.
Why do you think it sucks? I have been using it for two months now and think it is awesome! Maybe it's your equipment?
Why do you think it sucks? I have been using it for two months now and think it is awesome! Maybe it's your equipment?
Ah, you're one of those types. You realize that 256kbps AAC is better than you can hear, right? And "HD Streaming" is a load of bunk?
Jay-Z is desperate, he's trying to start crap.
And scrambled downloads happen on other songs too, heck, I've been meaning to ask Apple to check the data on Jefferson Starship's Jane for some time, it has an issue in the last 30 seconds.
Apple doesn't have to play these type of games. What BS. Tidal is a joke.
Apparently I am one of those guys... A music lover. Trust me, I like my iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro, iMac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch as much as the next guy, but when it comes to listening to hi-fidelity music none of my Apple products cut it. And neither does the lossy music that you claim is as good as hi-res. If you too are a music lover, you should do yourself a huge favor and go to your local hi-fi shop and listen to a good system. They will help you to understand which part of the listening experience you don't understand based on your uneducated statement.
What's WEIRD is the BS of Rhiannas songs scrambled on iTunes. If that was true and I highly doubt it was how does anyone know that Tidals people blocked her songs on iTunes so that in fact Tidal would then have an exclusive.
I mean - what motive is it of Apple?
Let's see... iTunes 500 million customers or Tidal 700,000? Who is desperate for more subs?
I mean this is about the lamest journalism (lack of) I'm seen lately.
It's completely made up because "Tidal" is D O A.
The launch, the name, the vibe = fail.
Living and working in Hollywood teaches you real quick that ARTISTS don't play nice with each other. This was the stupidest idea in years.
Give it up
Apparently I am one of those guys... A music lover. Trust me, I like my iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro, iMac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch as much as the next guy, but when it comes to listening to hi-fidelity music none of my Apple products cut it. And neither does the lossy music that you claim is as good as hi-res. If you too are a music lover, you should do yourself a huge favor and go to your local hi-fi shop and listen to a good system. They will help you to understand which part of the listening experience you don't understand based on your uneducated statement.
I have a good system at home and in my car, just like I have good headphones. The iPad and iPhone deliver fine sound, as did the Harman Kardon amp in my G4 Cube. The reality is that after a certain point it doesn't matter.
Until I can no longer distinguish the difference between a live performance and a recorded one, it does matter.
Until I can no longer distinguish the difference between a live performance and a recorded one, it does matter.
The struggle is real. I feel so terrible for you that you have to suffer through the agony of lossy audio. Those of us who are "fake" music lovers with our disgusting lossy audio are so inferior to your superhuman ears.
Seriously, "audiophiles" and "PC gamers" need to stop it with these delusions of grandeur and realize they aren't better than other people just because they can't properly deal with the epitome of first-world problems. If you are such the audiophile that can hear even the slightest difference in sound quality, why are you subscribing to streaming music at all?