Apple Music scores exclusive playlist deal with Ministry of Sound at expense of Spotify li...

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV
Apple has signed a pact with the famous dance/downtempo label Ministry of Sound, giving the former exclusive rights to branded playlists on Apple Music -- and dealing a blow to the global leader in on-demand music, Spotify.

Ministry of Sound


The first Apple Music MoS playlists will launch this Thursday, Oct. 4, Apple informed Variety. A separate, anonymous source told the publication that MoS will pull its playlists from Spotify and other music services in the next few days.

The move is bound to upset many Spotify subscribers, since MoS has several popular playlists on the service, such as "Dance Nation" and "Sunday Chill." Dance Nation alone has over 273,000 followers.

Apple and Spotify have been regularly trading shots with each other since Apple Music launched in 2015. Spotify retains an overwhelming lead, with 83 million paid customers versus Apple's reported 45 million, but the latter is now barely ahead in the North American market.

Most recently rapper Nicki Minaj accused Spotify of withdrawing promotion for her new album after she launched a show on Apple's Beats 1 radio. Apple has used its wealth to secure a number of high-profile exclusives, and enjoys a home-field advantage on iPhones and iPads, since its service is not only pre-installed on them but the only one that can be controlled directly with Siri.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,063member
    Wonder if this has anything to do with that non-profit partnership Apple made with that Kayne West YZY guy.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 13
    ElCapitanElCapitan Posts: 372member
    Now, that's a good move!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 13
    macdutchusermacdutchuser Posts: 12member
    Good news. I love EDM and frankly Apple Music's selection hasn't been that great so far. This is certainly a move in the right direction.
    appleheadwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 13
    JWSCJWSC Posts: 1,203member
    macdutchuser said:
    Good news. I love EDM and frankly Apple Music's selection hasn't been that great so far. This is certainly a move in the right direction.
    I was always a fan of Eric Prydz.  Hope he comes back for a third season.
    appleheadwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 13
    racoleman29racoleman29 Posts: 86member
    And so it begins...total domination by Apple.
    appleheadwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 13
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Spotify will probably take them to court. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 13
    aaronkalbaaronkalb Posts: 12member
    Spotify can suck it after they bought and killed the app that was going to finally bring Spotify to the iwatch.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 13
    matrix077matrix077 Posts: 868member
    aaronkalb said:
    Spotify can suck it after they bought and killed the app that was going to finally bring Spotify to the iwatch.
    Hmm... I wonder why. That doesn’t seem helpful to them. If they want to create the watch app at least they should leave the app alone for the time being. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 13
    claire1claire1 Posts: 510unconfirmed, member
    More radio stations next please!

    Would be funny if these Spotify playlists read:
    "Please upgrade to Apple Music to continue enjoying these playlists".
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 13
    stageofhistorystageofhistory Posts: 57member
    I have been a MoS fan since my teenage years, but this news is strange to me - There have been a number of Ministry playlists on Apple Music - including those mentioned in the article - for some time at least here in the UK.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 13
    matrix077matrix077 Posts: 868member
    stageofhistory said:
    I have been a MoS fan since my teenage years, but this news is strange to me - There have been a number of Ministry playlists on Apple Music - including those mentioned in the article - for some time at least here in the UK.
    Yup, I’m confused. I saw at least 15 MOS playlists in US Apple Music. I also saw a teaser that specifically states “4.10.18”. It’s a bit confusing. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 13
    stageofhistorystageofhistory Posts: 57member
    matrix077 said:
    stageofhistory said:
    I have been a MoS fan since my teenage years, but this news is strange to me - There have been a number of Ministry playlists on Apple Music - including those mentioned in the article - for some time at least here in the UK.
    Yup, I’m confused. I saw at least 15 MOS playlists in US Apple Music. I also saw a teaser that specifically states “4.10.18”. It’s a bit confusing. 
    I hope that this could mean Apple Music will present the actual mixed tracks of the Ministry released albums/Annuals rather than just being played sequentially start-to-finish.  To me, without this they're just generic playlists the same as any other, losing what made them Ministry worthy in the first place...  Superstar DJs and all that.  
  • Reply 13 of 13
    claire1claire1 Posts: 510unconfirmed, member
    matrix077 said:
    I have been a MoS fan since my teenage years, but this news is strange to me - There have been a number of Ministry playlists on Apple Music - including those mentioned in the article - for some time at least here in the UK.
    Yup, I’m confused. I saw at least 15 MOS playlists in US Apple Music. I also saw a teaser that specifically states “4.10.18”. It’s a bit confusing. 
    I hope that this could mean Apple Music will present the actual mixed tracks of the Ministry released albums/Annuals rather than just being played sequentially start-to-finish.  To me, without this they're just generic playlists the same as any other, losing what made them Ministry worthy in the first place...  Superstar DJs and all that.  
    No no no there has to be more than this. After reading your comments, I thought maybe the contract is more than "playlists".

    Thought for a second Apple acquired them, which they should have. Apple needs to become an actual record label and kill the middle men.

    Did some digging, Found this on wikipedia:

    "DOLBY ATMOS


    In 2016, Ministry of Sound partnered with     Dolby Laboratories to bring surround sound Dolby Atmos to the nightclub, a first in the industry.[8] "

    Wow.

    edited October 2018
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