“Apple is still negotiating deals for the streaming service, which it would like to announce soon,” Dawn Chmielewski and Peter Kafka report for Re/code. “But it would like to offer several ways to let people listen to some music without paying, according to industry sources.”
Those include:
• A free trial period, which may range from one to three months, depending on the outcome of Apple’s negotiations with music labels.
• A feature that will let music owners upload a sampling of songs that users could could listen to without subscribing to the service. Several sources describe this feature as something akin to SoundCloud, the music streaming service that describes itself as the “YouTube for audio.”
• A new version of Apple’s iTunes Radio, featuring stations programmed by human beings instead of computers, which could be localized for different countries.
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As details leak, this service is sounding like a very comprehensive deal.
The ability to make a playlist of free songs, a SoundCloud for commercial music, without having to subscribe is intriguing and, we imagine, would be popular.
A free trial period, whether it be one month or longer, is essential.
The big question: Can Apple negotiate the right price for the masses?
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz,” “Dan K.,” and “Judge Bork” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Apple still plans WWDC debut for new ‘iTunes Music’ subscription service – May 5, 2015
Apple lacks key music deals ahead of ‘iTunes Music’ subscription service launch, sources say – May 5, 2015
Apple pushing music labels to kill free Spotify streaming ahead of ‘iTunes Music’ launch – May 4, 2015
U.S. feds weigh investigation of Apple’s forthcoming ‘iTunes Music’ streaming service – April 7, 2015
EU regulators already probing Apple’s music streaming plans in Europe – April 2, 2015
Apple’s ‘iTunes Music’ streaming service to cost $9.99/month, no free tier; iTunes Radio to get makeover – March 26, 2015
With iTunes Music, Apple wants to help music labels roll back the tide of free digital music – March 6, 2015