To me it looks like iTunes Radio/ Beats is getting ready for war, with Spotify and Tidal in it’s sights! June’s WWDC will reveal all but right now the rumor is Apple is pursuing Drizzy, PhaREAL, and David Guetta to DJ for iTunes Radio, along with a linger trial period for Beats!!
Beats is extending it’s trial basis to 3 months(enough time to get you hooked, and forget about canceling). As far as Pharrell, David Guetta and Drake, they are to be DJ’s on iTunes Radio(which is diff from Beats right now as it’s closer to radio and songs selected for you, and Beats is closer to Spotify with OnDemand). Matter of fact, the rumor is in talks with Apple for $19M behind this, no word on what Pharrell and Guetta(The only actual DJ) will get.
Also it looks like Beats will be turned into “Apple Music”, drop from $10 a month to $8 a month(which makes it cheaper than Spotify by $2, and Tidal by $12, every bit counts right?), and offer more social integration(to rival Spotify and blow away Tidal). There are also rumors that they will have music (and video), artists’ pages, a YouTube-style post-it-yourself destination called Apple Connect within the New App. This feels like everything from every service rolled into one destination, which could def make it difficult for Spotify, Pandora, and especially for Tidal to grow…..because as 50 cent pointed out, Tidal can NOT guarantee that it’s Artists music will only be there, the labels want it everywhere for max exposure!
