“The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple is in talks to buy Tidal, the streaming music service purchased just over a year ago by Jay Z,” Kirk McElhearn writes for Kirkville. “Tidal claims to have 4.2 million subscribers, compared to Apple Music’s 15 million. (For comparison, Spotify claims 30 million paid subscribers.)”
“Apple would buy Tidal for two reasons” McElhearn writes. “The first is the musicians who own the company. Apple, with its massive cash reserve, could make them an offer they would not be able to refuse, and therefore ‘acquire’ a number of artists who could release music exclusively (at first) on Apple Music.”
McElhearn writes, “The second is to get a competitor out of the game.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: In this case, consolidation makes perfect sense.
SEE ALSO:
Why Apple buying Jay Z’s Tidal makes sense – and why it doesn’t – July 1, 2016
Desperate Spotify tries to manufacture an Apple App Store antitrust issue that does not exist – July 1, 2016
Spotify accuses Apple of ‘grave harm’ – July 1, 2016
Apple in talks to acquire Jay Z’s Tidal music service – June 30, 2016
Hush money….;)
I’ve got pictures. Beyoncé and Tim.
If you call Jay Z and Kanye’s crap, music. I don’t. This makes no sense at all.
Hint: If you call yourself “the greatest creative genius of all time” chances are good your questionably-categorized-as-musical “talents” are a steaming pile of unmitigated crap. In Kanye’s case more than good, actually spot-on, excelling only in creating juvenile aural irritants and the further lowering of the cultural bar, exponentially. Plenty of good music out there past and present, just not from the likes of ‘im.
I see no reason to buy Tidal.
If I recall, there was an article about their financial dealings and how most of their financial reporting was false or they were losing money and couldn’t pay the artists. The only one making money or taking money out is Jay-Z.
It will go broke soon enough and I’m sure the artist will not see a dime. If they did buy Tidal, Apple would have a PR nightmare because then the artist would sue Apple to extort money they were owed by Tidal/Jay-Z. I’m sure the purchase contract would clearly state Apple would not be liable for Tidal debt but the headlines would not be good for Apple.
Consolidation is not a bad thing but at what cost?
May 2015 Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-05-28/why-jay-z-s-tidal-streaming-music-service-has-been-a-disaster
I hope Apple’s fascination with the music business, about which it knows very little, doesn’t prove fatal. It has for many others.
I have a better idea, Apple: make Apple Music great, and win by competing. Novel, I know. Apple’s overpayment for Beats continues to leave a bad taste in my mouth, as it was obviously done for the purpose of “buying cool.” It was A lazy person’s shortcut.
So this is the ‘major acquisition’ that’s been alluded to?
Get stuffed Timber!
Just wait for tidal to go under, then scoop up the artists.
Wait until the tide goes out and scoop up all the dying little fishy left high and dry.