Apple Music is an audio music streaming platform launched by Apple in June 2015.
The service had over 60 million subscribers as of an announcement from Eddy Cue on June, 2019. This number included both paying users and free triallists.
According to Apple job advertising, Apple Music offers over 70 million licensed tracks on its service.
Apple Music’s founding architects at Apple included the likes of Jimmy Iovine, Eddy Cue, Zane Lowe, and Trent Reznor.
Beats 1 and radio strategy
The service’s own streaming ‘radio station’, Beats 1, was rebranded as Apple Music 1 in August 2020. Alongside that rebrand, Apple launched two more ‘radio’ stations, Apple Music Hits, which will play songs from the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s, and Apple Music Country.
Unlike competitors such as Spotify, Apple Music’s radio-esque strategy sees it employ dozens of on-air presenters.
Apple Music 1 presenters include the likes of Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden. Apple Music Hits is fronted by the likes of Jayde Donovan, Estelle, Lowkey, Jenn Marino, and Sabi. And Apple Music Country boasts on-air hosts such as Kelleigh Bannen, Ty Bentli, Bree, Alecia Davis, Ward Guenther, Nada, and Tiera.
In addition to his Apple Music 1 show, Zane Lowe is Global Creative Director at Apple Music. And since January 2019, Ebro Darden has been Apple Music’s Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and R&B.
Leadership
Apple Music was loosely led by Jimmy Iovine – alongside other key characters at Apple like Larry Jackson – following its launch in 2015.
In 2018, Oliver Schusser formally became global leader of Apple Music, as Vice President of Apple Music & International Content.
Schusser, now based in Los Angeles, was promoted from his prior London-based role at Apple, and reports to Eddy Cue.
In April 2020, Schusser took on the additional role of leading Apple’s Beats headphones division.
Another key figure within Apple Music is Elena Segal, who was named the platform’s Global Head of Music Publishing in 2018.
Global reach
In April 2020, Apple Music expanded into 52 additional countries – including a string of markets in Africa.
That took Apple Music’s global reach up to 167 markets in total.
Markets in Africa that Apple Music entered via the expansion included Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Libya, Morocco, Rwanda and Zambia.
Apple One bundle
Apple Music’s standard price in the US market is $9.99-per-month, following a three-month introductory free trial period.
A student membership tier is available for $4.99 a month, while the Apple Music Family Plan – for up to six users on a single account – costs $14.99 per month.
In September 2020, Apple launched the Apple One subscription bundle, bringing together Apple Music with the likes of Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and iCloud for a single monthly price.Music Business Worldwide