All attention was tuned into
As anticipated, the conference took over social media, with Tim Cook and company unveiling an extensive set of software updates, product upgrades, and a suite of new releases.
Among the most anticipated announcements was the reveal of Apple’s new music streaming service.
Since Apple’s landmark acquisition of Beats Electronics and Beats Music for a reported $3 billion, people have been anxiously waiting to see what the perceived future of music will look like.
That future was presented as Apple Music – a dynamic multimedia streaming service, focused on empowering artists and music lovers to create curated experiences that forge seamless relationships between people and the music they love.
For iOS users, Apple Music will be available beginning June 30th, while Android users must wait until the Fall to access the service. A monthly subscription to Apple Music is priced at $9.99, offering a free 3-month trial for potential subscribers. Apple is also extending a family plan for a monthly fee of $14.99.
Apple’s redesigned music offering is broken down into three key components – Apple Music, Beats 1, and Connect.
Apple Music will mix your existing library, merging it with their full slate of over 30 million songs in the iTunes catalog. The platform will feature customized playlists curated by a select list of artists, tastemakers and experts, also giving subscribers the ability to add their own playlists and share within the platform.
Beats 1 stands as Apple’s new global, 24-hour music station. Anchored by BBC’s Zane Lowe, who will be the distinguished voice of the station, Beats 1 aims to deliver a diverse outlook around music – playing a multitude of artists of all genres, along with in-depth interviews and original content.
Apple Connect is the social arm of the streaming service that provides artists with their own pages, where they are encouraged to share everything from music and live videos, to photographs and other exclusive content. Both artists and users can comment and engage each other directly in real-time.
"This is a revolutionary music service curated by the leading music experts who we helped hand pick,” said Jimmy Iovine, Co-Founder of Beats Electronics and Beats Music. “These people are going to help you with the most difficult question in music: when you’re listening to a playlist, what song comes next.”
As stated by Trent Reznor, one of Apple Music’s spokesmen, the overall intent of Apple Music is to grow, nurture and sustain careers, while more specifically shaping one shared conversation around music. The approach to accomplishing this goal is having each element of Apple Music work in unison to solidify a universal appreciation for music as an art form – sonically, visually and socially.
In a mobile-driven era defined by individuals creating unique personal experiences – the focus of every existing streaming service is cracking the code of curation. From Spotify to Tidal, the current gold rush reflects the race to build a native ecosystem that allows users to create, aggregate and share content within one space. The challenge has been restricting people from seamlessly expanding their experiences into their external networks of distribution.
While on paper it appears difficult to differentiate Apple Music from its competitors, the Apple edge is found in the emphasis on emotion.
Appreciating music as art requires seeing music through the lens of its intangible traits, such as the energy, passion and relatable storytelling that speaks the language of the human spirit.
This nuanced insight is what has allowed both the Apple and Beats brands to win in the marketplace, escaping technical criticisms of quality, design and functionality by masterfully tapping into the shared values of the millennial generation.
Consistently expressed through advertisements, social campaigns, smart endorsements and strategic partnerships, Apple and Beats have managed to embed an influential brand message into a culture of young people from all walks of life that they’ve naturally invested in.
The foundation of Apple’s music model is the belief that every human is a fan of music - regardless of taste, socioeconomic status, language or location. Now, it’s about evolving that point of view, taking a step beyond viewing individuals as simply fans to empower them as creators and curators of culture.
Drawing from these deeper truths of identity makes the platform more identifiable, translatable, and ultimately more universal.
To amplify this strategy, Apple is placing great attention toward displaying a rich and stimulating aesthetic. Intriguing visuals subtly enhance the value of the search, discovery and listening experience.
Superstars like Drake and The Weeknd were on hand to advocate for the new service, providing both excitement and added credibility for followers who witnessed Tidal’s A-List introduction into the marketplace.
Yet, what went unnoticed throughout the presentation was the strategic placement of artists on the verge, like Kehlani and Jamie xx, who embody the attitude and ethos of a prime demographic of stream-savvy music lovers. This same demographic is the most sought-after target for other brands, marketers and media companies - a young, free-spirited, non-conformist audience that no longer bows to tradition. They represent the generation of independence, paving your own way and creating without limitation.
Both promotional videos pulled from the same formula, with Pharrell uttering an anthem of freedom, while an eclectic set of kids maneuvered through the diverse realities of their varying lifestyles and emotions – all joined by the common thread of one message told through music.
Apple's primary competitors in the streaming space, such as Spotify and Tidal, rely upon the alluring power of celebrity and disruptive technology to power its public facing positioning efforts. Though Jay Z's Tidal brings together music heavyweights in a mission of solidarity for the purpose of establishing ownership, there doesn't seem to be a clear narrative that clearly connects with the deeper human experiences that fuel all people. While Spotify boasts several noteworthy advancements that make its user experience easier and more comprehensive, they have not yet conquered the hurdle of telling a unique global brand story that genuinely mirrors today's connected generation.
While the verdict is unclear as to where Apple Music will land in the rankings aside other streaming services, their current business model for capturing a global audience remains in a league of its own. As the platform becomes available to the public, and more messaging is disseminated to the masses, we will see just how strong of a factor the element of emotion, coupled with an authentically cohesive storytelling approach plays in propelling Apple forward in the fight for streaming supremacy.
