Rdio responds to Apple Music with statement satirizing Apple reaction to IBM PC
Rdio on Friday responded to this week's announcement of Apple Music, satirizing Apple marketing from 1981 as part of an argument that the company is doing nothing fundamentally new.
"Welcome, Apple. Seriously. Welcome to the most exciting and important frontier since the digital music revolution began 16 years ago," Rdio said, according to The Next Web. The words paraphrase Apple's response to IBM putting out its first personal computer. IBM-compatible PCs would eventually come to dominate the global computer market.
Rdio CEO Anthony Bay reportedly argued that iTunes began "really clean and simple," but has "gotten messy" since, and that Apple Music could get lost in the shuffle for people navigating its content. "So you have Apple Music next to podcasts and e-books and 'rent a movie' and 'buy a TV show', plus your own music, there's a risk of it being very confusing," he said. The executive described Rdio as a specialty shop next to Apple's department store.
He further criticized the originality of Apple's efforts. "When you look at where Apple has done remarkable things, it's when they do something new: the original Mac, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad - those are all 'wow'.
"This is not that. This is another version of music," Bay remarked.
He nevertheless suggested that there is room for many different streaming services, since they all share similar music libraries.
Apple announced Apple Music during Monday's WWDC keynote. The service will launch on June 30, and eventually come to 100 countries, more than Rdio's current 85 and Spotify's 50.
"Welcome, Apple. Seriously. Welcome to the most exciting and important frontier since the digital music revolution began 16 years ago," Rdio said, according to The Next Web. The words paraphrase Apple's response to IBM putting out its first personal computer. IBM-compatible PCs would eventually come to dominate the global computer market.
Rdio CEO Anthony Bay reportedly argued that iTunes began "really clean and simple," but has "gotten messy" since, and that Apple Music could get lost in the shuffle for people navigating its content. "So you have Apple Music next to podcasts and e-books and 'rent a movie' and 'buy a TV show', plus your own music, there's a risk of it being very confusing," he said. The executive described Rdio as a specialty shop next to Apple's department store.
He further criticized the originality of Apple's efforts. "When you look at where Apple has done remarkable things, it's when they do something new: the original Mac, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad - those are all 'wow'.
"This is not that. This is another version of music," Bay remarked.
He nevertheless suggested that there is room for many different streaming services, since they all share similar music libraries.
Apple announced Apple Music during Monday's WWDC keynote. The service will launch on June 30, and eventually come to 100 countries, more than Rdio's current 85 and Spotify's 50.
Comments
He has a point. iTunes has certainly become bloated over the years and imo the store itself needs to have a separate app from a music/television/movies app.
1999: "Consumer-level laptop? Nothing new."
2007: "Smart phone? Nothing new."
2010: "Tablet? Nothing new."
2015: "Paid music streaming service? Nothing new."
This is the opportunity for us to rent music, and not have to be burdened with owning an actual copy of said music.
Not only that, for our good money, they will compress this music for us, so that we don't have to listen to it in that CD quality we all hate.
It's like radio, only you get to pay for it.
He has a point. iTunes has certainly become bloated over the years and imo the store itself needs to have a separate app from a music/television/movies app.
No, he doesn't have a point. He has thinking that's a decade old.
Nowhere in iOS is that true. He's still thinking with a desktop-centric model, and that's why he's wrong.
I don't think when Apple ran the original ad they were defensive, more cocky, which came back to bite them. Same thing with Rdio. The difference though is that Apple doesn't run non-money making services. Rdio hasn't made any profit yet, so it'll be interesting to see how long the tap will last for them.
Nothing Apple announced was innovative but it didn't need to be. Music doesn't need to be a big deal. This is what Apple should have done: have Eddy Cue on stage for 10-15 minutes max, and in bullet point fashion describe all the features of Apple Music. Just a simple streaming service that has access to the vast iTunes catalog, that allows for offline playlists, an easy way to import playlists from other streaming services and a great deal on family pricing. Fold iTunes Radio into the services as the free with ads option. Skip the stupid global radio station and social media feature. Skip all this human curation nonsense (if people really cared about that Beats Music would have been more successful than it was). Just keep it simple and keep the app uncluttered. That's all Apple needed to do. It doesn't need to "revolutionize" music.
It still boggles my mind that Apple spent nearly 40 minutes on this when Phil Schiller said there was lots of stuff they cut from the keynote. So basically the iOS and OS X sections were cut short so Eddy Cue could spend 20 minutes giving us a demo of the music app. It boggles the mind. But maybe I shouldn't be surprised. Let's not forget Cue (and Iovine) thought it was a great idea to stick a U2 album in everyone's library as though they had purchased it and then later had to provide a tool for people to remove it if they wanted to. Bring Phil Schiller back on stage he's a much better stage presenter.
No, he doesn't have a point. He has thinking that's a decade old.
Nowhere in iOS is that true. He's still thinking with a desktop-centric model, and that's why he's wrong.
In that part I agree with you on. iOS yes, it's fine
Go where? I'm currently a paid Spotify subscriber and I'm very happy with the service. It's the height of arrogance to suggest they just need to go away because Apple now launched a subscription service of their own.
Of course it won't be hard to be taken over by Apple. Apple has a huge warchest and can spend whatever they want on this service. Apple also has the power of defaults. Apple Music will be preinstalled on nearly every iOS device. Of course it's damn near impossible to compete with that.
Go where? I'm currently a paid Spotify subscriber and I'm very happy with the service. It's the height of arrogance to suggest they just need to go away because Apple now launched a subscription service of their own.
Oh no, I'm not saying Apple should be the only game in town. Honest competition promotes excellence. But Spotify has played this in a disgusting manner, I simply want them to get their just desserts. You don't think these investigations start themselves, do you? And all the anti-Apple Music propaganda run by the Verge, was that coincidence? (Vox has shown years ago they're for sale to the highest bidder with no editorial integrity).
Dalrymple is a has-been journalist who stopped producing any content of meaning years ago. his blog is being misused by his two chosen staffers...it's sad but there it is. his relevancy and authority on Apple no longer exist.
as for presentations -- it's hard. if you watch the WWDC session vids, you'll see some even more painful speakers. I don't fault them for it, tho. unless you do it on a regular basis you'll probably suck at it, too.
Can't argue with this. And the muddled tone deaf presentation on Monday didn't help. Ben Thompson got it right when he said the music portion of the keynote showed a lack of focus. Even Jim Dalrymple said Jimmy Iovine and Drake were terrible and Iovine shouldn't be on stage at an Apple event again. The only positive argument I'm seeing for Apple Music is the power of defaults; that it will come installed on every device running iOS 8.4 or higher.
Nothing Apple announced was innovative but it didn't need to be. Music doesn't need to be a big deal. This is what Apple should have done: have Eddy Cue on stage for 10-15 minutes max, and in bullet point fashion describe all the features of Apple Music. Just a simple streaming service that has access to the vast iTunes catalog, that allows for offline playlists, an easy way to import playlists from other streaming services and a great deal on family pricing. Fold iTunes Radio into the services as the free with ads option. Skip the stupid global radio station and social media feature. Skip all this human curation nonsense (if people really cared about that Beats Music would have been more successful than it was). Just keep it simple and keep the app uncluttered. That's all Apple needed to do. It doesn't need to "revolutionize" music.
It still boggles my mind that Apple spent nearly 40 minutes on this when Phil Schiller said there was lots of stuff they cut from the keynote. So basically the iOS and OS X sections were cut short so Eddy Cue could spend 20 minutes giving us a demo of the music app. It boggles the mind. But maybe I shouldn't be surprised. Let's not forget Cue (and Iovine) thought it was a great idea to stick a U2 album in everyone's library as though they had purchased it and then later had to provide a tool for people to remove it if they wanted to. Bring Phil Schiller back on stage he's a much better stage presenter.
Cant argue with this either, well said. Even the employee Fan Boys in the audience were like - 'Huh, what?!' I almost could feel the 'cringing' through the screen.
That approach from Rdio will likely work just about as well as it did for Apple in the 1980s.
IIRC, that was just before the IBM PC and Microsoft grabbed 90+% of the desktop market.
Dalrymple is a has-been journalist who stopped producing any content of meaning years ago. his blog is being misused by his two chosen staffers...it's sad but there it is. his relevancy and authority on Apple no longer exist.
There are MANY who would disagree with your assessment