You knew it was coming.
It wasn’t like the universe needed another streaming music service, but Apple’s thrown its hat into the ring and announced “Beats One”, or the Apple Music service, which will be available for US$9.99 per month for a single account, US$14.99 per month for a family account and feature on-demand content and curated playlists. The service will launch on June 30 for Apple devices and Windows, but will also come to Android and Apple TV this fall.
During his segment of the keynote speech, Apple executive Jimmy Iovine stated that one of the key components of Apple Music is human-curated playlists, which Iovine said offer much better quality than any algorithm could ever attempt.
Part of Apple Music is a 24/7 global radio station that is the brainchild of Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor. Featuring DJs broadcasting from three cities, “Beats One” will stream from within the Apple Music app, and will be available to listen for free, even without an Apple Music subscription.
A social component within Apple Music, dubbed “Connect”, allows fans to connect with artists and for artists to upload whatever they please to share with fans.
The new iOS Music app has a tab dubbed “For You,” suggesting content to users based on the music they listen to. These are recommendations made by real people at Apple who love music.
There’s also a “New” tab that shows new albums and artists, as well as top charts. Again, content is human curated by genre or activity.
Users can also make and share their own curated playlists, while others can be viewed in the “For You” tab. There, Apple employees, artists, and regular users can have their playlists spotlighted.
iTunes chief Eddy Cue also showed how Siri integration can allow users to make specific requests, like to play “that song from ‘Selma,'” or to play the top song from a specific date.
Apple Music will launch with iOS 8.4 and a new version of iTunes for Mac on June 30. The streaming service will also come to Android this fall, as well as a new version of iTunes for Windows.
Apple has stated that it will also be offering the service with a free three-month trial to start.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider