The Spotify Situation
I have been reading a ton of articles on why Apple Music will fail because Spotify has one huge advantage...Freemium. Yes, Spotify does have a free service that is extremely popular and I think it will continue to be popular. However, there is room in the growing streaming market for more than one successful service. Did Pepsi not succeed because Coke exists? The Moutain Dew stacked in my fridge says that Pepsi is doing just fine. Most markets have more than one successful retailer (Apple/Microsoft, Apple/Samsung, etc.) and I think that Apple Music will succeed right alongside Spotify.
I will admit that I did find it strange that Apple didn't have a freemium version of on demand streaming that can take advantage of their iAds, but I am guessing they want a distinct segregation between their free service and their paid service. In the end, I think it will keep Spotify in business in the long run, but I don't think it will wreck Apple Music as a result.
I will admit that I did find it strange that Apple didn't have a freemium version of on demand streaming that can take advantage of their iAds, but I am guessing they want a distinct segregation between their free service and their paid service. In the end, I think it will keep Spotify in business in the long run, but I don't think it will wreck Apple Music as a result.
Siri, yes, Siri
I am absolutely amazed that some tech programs/articles did not even mention this as a feature of Apple Music. There have been more than a billion iOS devices sold and many people that talk about tech or write about tech, think that Siri integration is so unimportant that it doesn't deserve to even be mentioned when discussing this service? Spotify does not work with Siri.
The first time I showed off Siri was at a friends house over Christmas after it was first introduced. Three people in the room had never owned an Apple product. However, we sat and asked Siri questions and as the service answered them, people were intrigued and entertained. In the months that followed, the people in the room eventually bought either an iPhone or iPad. Yes, there was probably more than that one reason, but they were still talking about Siri the next time I saw them.
I was watching a tech show and the host said that Android will do the same thing with Spotify. and Google Now. However, tech show hosts have access to Android, Windows, and iOS and don't pick one platform and stick with it. The real world is typically using one platform and many are using iPhones and iPads. Therefore, it is absolutely irrelevant whether Android has a feature or not. On iOS, only Apple Music will have this feature.
Siri integration, for me, is a major selling point. The ability to do searches like "play music from 1982", "add Kind of Blue to my library", or "play Aretha Franklin when this song is finished", etc.. is a huge advantage. Think about the convenience of using this in the car or with an Apple Watch or while reading a magazine in your living room.
The first time I showed off Siri was at a friends house over Christmas after it was first introduced. Three people in the room had never owned an Apple product. However, we sat and asked Siri questions and as the service answered them, people were intrigued and entertained. In the months that followed, the people in the room eventually bought either an iPhone or iPad. Yes, there was probably more than that one reason, but they were still talking about Siri the next time I saw them.
I was watching a tech show and the host said that Android will do the same thing with Spotify. and Google Now. However, tech show hosts have access to Android, Windows, and iOS and don't pick one platform and stick with it. The real world is typically using one platform and many are using iPhones and iPads. Therefore, it is absolutely irrelevant whether Android has a feature or not. On iOS, only Apple Music will have this feature.
Siri integration, for me, is a major selling point. The ability to do searches like "play music from 1982", "add Kind of Blue to my library", or "play Aretha Franklin when this song is finished", etc.. is a huge advantage. Think about the convenience of using this in the car or with an Apple Watch or while reading a magazine in your living room.
iTunes Match or whatever they want to call it
Spotify does not match your iTunes library and make it available for streaming. You either have to load the files directly to the iPhone or deal with listening to music only in the Spotify library. Apple Music has already said that they will make your iTunes Library available. Some people are saying that no one buys music, but there have been over 35 Billion songs sold on iTunes and hundreds of billions of CDs have been sold. Assuming Apple isn't just aiming the service at 5 year olds, there will be people with their own music that may not be available on any service (The Beatles, King Crimson, certain Jazz labels, AC/DC, etc..). There are also those that have Bootlegs and other music that isn't available. Personally, the ability to have the Beatles sitting next to the latest release on one service is an important feature*.
* Note: Google Play Music has had this feature since it was introduced. I tried out the service and it lacked so many features that I decided it wasn't worth it. One major stumbling block was the lack of a desktop music app (which meant that it could not be remotely controlled like Rdio or Spotify).
* Note: Google Play Music has had this feature since it was introduced. I tried out the service and it lacked so many features that I decided it wasn't worth it. One major stumbling block was the lack of a desktop music app (which meant that it could not be remotely controlled like Rdio or Spotify).
iTunes
One app to rule them all. I would venture a guess that iTunes is the most popular music app on the planet. After all, it has been the easiest way to get your music and videos from your computer to your Apple music player (iPad, Touch, iPod, iPhone) for years. It will now just get an update and the Apple Music service will just be there.
With the current "Remote" app, you can actually control iTunes from your network and send audio from iTunes to multiple Airplay devices from the app. It is the currently the easiest way to do multi-room Airplay audio and if they add the music service to this feature, it will only be one more reason for AppleTV and Airport Express owners to jump in.
With the current "Remote" app, you can actually control iTunes from your network and send audio from iTunes to multiple Airplay devices from the app. It is the currently the easiest way to do multi-room Airplay audio and if they add the music service to this feature, it will only be one more reason for AppleTV and Airport Express owners to jump in.
Apple TV
It will be interesting to see where Apple TV goes in the next year. Many believe there will be an app store, but Apple could snub Spotify. They don't make it available now, so that may still be the case when Apple TV 4 (or whatever they call it) comes out. There is a lot of pent up demand for a new Apple TV and their rumored TV service and Homekit hub will most likely make Apple TV sales soar again. While I don't think the Apple TV alone would be something to make people want Apple Music, when combined with everything else, it becomes part of a compelling ecosystem. Also, I bet that the App will be preloaded on the new Apple TV. Not to mention the millions that already own an Apple TV that will be using the service for three months free before they have to make a decision.
500 Pound Gorilla
Apple has money...a whole lot of it. They will be able to get new releases by major artists. They will be able to get exclusives. They will release new devices with the Music app sitting on the home screen. They can give away months of the service with new purchases. They can buy other services and absorb their customer base.
The Other Stuff
The curation, Connect, and Beats 1 features. As someone that has tried nearly every service, my feeling is that Beats had the best curation (recommendation) engine. The playlists and albums they chose based on my preferences were nearly always on target. One issue I had with the service (when I tried it) was the inability to easily get to new releases. However, Apple's keynote seemed to show new music right in the 'All Genres" section.
The Connect service will be free and if artists actually use it, it will draw in more eyes. If Taylor Swift, for example, starts posting here instead of Instagram, there will be millions of new eyes on Apple Music. I am curious about it myself, but I think it will bring curiosity to music fans and that is really what draws in new users as much as anything.
Beats 1 is a worldwide radio station that will also be available for free. I think it will be very interesting to see how one station available in 100 countries will be perceived. I remember watching a movie that talked about "one moon". When "character A" was away from home, he would gaze at the moon and know that "character B" was doing the same. It was an amazing way of connecting with someone far away.
Could this concept be similar? We will all have the ability to listen to the same song, at the same time. Of course, it really comes down to whether the music is acceptable to a broad audience, but I know I will try it out. I wonder how many others will also be curious about it? Think about the artists that will appear on the station just to be able to connect with so many people at one time. While I got an iPod to get away from DJs a long time ago, I can still see tons of potential in this concept.
The Connect service will be free and if artists actually use it, it will draw in more eyes. If Taylor Swift, for example, starts posting here instead of Instagram, there will be millions of new eyes on Apple Music. I am curious about it myself, but I think it will bring curiosity to music fans and that is really what draws in new users as much as anything.
Beats 1 is a worldwide radio station that will also be available for free. I think it will be very interesting to see how one station available in 100 countries will be perceived. I remember watching a movie that talked about "one moon". When "character A" was away from home, he would gaze at the moon and know that "character B" was doing the same. It was an amazing way of connecting with someone far away.
Could this concept be similar? We will all have the ability to listen to the same song, at the same time. Of course, it really comes down to whether the music is acceptable to a broad audience, but I know I will try it out. I wonder how many others will also be curious about it? Think about the artists that will appear on the station just to be able to connect with so many people at one time. While I got an iPod to get away from DJs a long time ago, I can still see tons of potential in this concept.
Patience is virtue
Apple will be making their debut at the end of the month and it will be important to measure their success over a period of time. No one will be paying for the first three months and many don't even know about it yet. Apple has already released their "music history" video commercial, but I think we will see a major onslaught of commercials in the coming months. I would be very surprised if the service doesn't succeed, simply based on the 800 million credit cards they have on file that will make it very easy for people to pay without having to pull it out and give their credit card number to yet another company. More and more people think that the more they can do with one service, the better.
I am not predicting the end of Spotify, but I believe this segment of the music business will continue to grow and Apple can make a compelling argument to make their service the choice for many.
I am not predicting the end of Spotify, but I believe this segment of the music business will continue to grow and Apple can make a compelling argument to make their service the choice for many.
RSS Feed