”Fast Company’s former editor and good friend Bob Safian recently returned to contribute a profile on Spotify founder Daniel Ek, in which they discussed his views on music distribution and curation,” Mark Sullivan writes for Fast Company. “For a contrasting viewpoint, Safian also talked to Apple CEO Tim Cook about the way he and his company view music.”
“Apple Music relies mainly on human curation to suggest music to users, while Spotify depends on algorithms,” Sullivan writes. “Cook didn’t call out Spotify by name but he is clearly highlighting the difference in approach with this quote: ‘We worry about the humanity being drained out of music, about it becoming a bits-and-bytes kind of world instead of the art and craft.’”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: There is some amazing music being made today and Apple Music, especially the For You section, helps us find it!
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
Yet Apple Music’s “curators” can’t possibly understand that I like music without vocals. I hate when listening to “new music mix” going from a nice piece to a blabbering vocal song. So, I joined Youtube Music.
Devin Prater Assistive Technology Instructor certified by World Services for the Blind JAWS certified
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Timster, how can you justify mp3 quality in 2018?
And excessive normalization in the ridiculous attempt to be “louder” and in the process create godawful distortion?
Humanity was drained out of music the day no-talent bums who couldn’t sing created rap (and most hip-hop) using “me too” production techniques like Auto-Tune and that same nauseating, way over-used and unimaginative tinny drum sound. Enough already!! We were on to you 10 years ago!
While Apple’s online offerings (both for purchase and streaming) are typically better than the most common mp3 offerings, when is Apple going to offer a minimum quality equal to standard CDs with lossless compression? I have never and will not buy or subscribe to anything from Apple until they offer that quality or better.
Tim, have you listened to the “humanity” in some of your music?
You drop Alex Jones because of “hate” issues, but you continue to sell music which is worse.
Guess I’ll just keep listening to my Mantovani albums.
He deems Alex Jones harmful, but continues support for the “musicians” that speak of, promote and visualize violence in general, or specifically towards women, cops and the dudes on the other side of the tracks.
As significant, it’s done within music which has a unique ability to transport, excite and mesmerize consciously and subliminally.
I doubt few would turn on AJ just because they like the sound, while the meaning just soaks in.
Contradiction is obvious. Consistent thinking is lacking.
Tim Cook is Apple’s Steve Ballmer.
Ballmer was a circus bear on parade that sweat a lot.
TC has issues, but he’s not a Larry, Moe and Curly in One.
Ridiculous statement.
Tim cook, is this the same man who thinks “the mother of all thermal challenges” is how to put a G5 in a mobile computer. Yeah, he seems to have excellent knowledge about the bigger issues of humanity…
It’s ironic to me that he can make this statement about culture while simultaneously espousing politics that reduce us all to bits and bytes. The inability of so many people to connect the disparate parts of life is truly astonishing.
No Tim humanity is being drained from your home nation. Music is just a signpost.
I was going to say that music is a sign of culture’s paradigm, thinking, status quo. It represents what’s already there. At the same time, music and art direct and lead culture…so, a bit of a circle, but also a venue to break out of the current path.
You unfortunately had to stain the thought with the stain that eats at you. As a human to human, such thoughts offered have value and are pertinent, but are greatly lessened in value and confused when you tag on your obsession. No need to offer gratuitous response, unless it pertains to the core of the thought at hand…in other words, please no home nation “follow-up” as I’m aware of the obsession.
Excellent post there Re: and you are right it’s a stain that is attempting to eat humanity. I really am not impressed with nations that embrace torture and devalue others in their quest for greatness. They are the source of the stain upon humanity, and humanity, that’s my passion.
That being said, I’m more than happy to modify it to your term, that of culture, the culture of Apple’s home nation. I’m also happy to point out that I did not bring up the idea that humanity is being drained out of music, Tim Cook did.
It sounds like he’s talking about all music world wide, and that is an obsession I’ve noticed from the culture of Apple’s home nation, that grandiose inflation of self importance. I listen to music from all over the world. Most of the best inspirational songs I enjoy don’t come from Apple’s home nation. One example is Anathema, a British band, beautiful music and I just found out, inspired by your post, that their album won album of the year at the Progressive Music Awards. I haven’t heard it yet but I’m putting it on my acquire list. The name of the album is The Optimist, sounds very humane to me and humanity is worth making peace for. It would be a joy to see a more humane approach here but that does not seem to be the approach from the culture of Apple’s home nation.
Forever more to leave the obsessed nut with his obsession.
Yeah go back to searching for that weapons of mass destruction program in Iraq. If you still can’t find it after fifteen years and massive loss of lives if, you probably don’t have what it takes to realize how obsessed your nation and culture is and you certainly don’t have what it takes at the moment to be humane.
That can change though, so I’m optimistic that you’ll figure out what it takes to be humane, or join the dinosaurs. I’d prefer the former myself but hey that’s just my passion.
What if I don’t want to listen to music? Shouldn’t it be my choice? I get high on music, which is great if I’m driving on the open road. However, if I’m driving in an unfamiliar area or traffic gets too congested, I need to shut it off so that I can concentrate. Whoever designed my “infotainment center” must own an auto body shop, because they didn’t include an off switch.
Desperate bunch using any excuse to politisize everything and anything and on top bash Tim..
For heavens sake.. get a life….
just listen to the type of music i like where and how u like it…… there are no shortage of choices..
Are u all bored to death ?
Apple should start playing some music for Whites on Beats1. Doesn’t Tim like diversity?