“Apple Music is the right product at the wrong price,” Neil Cybart writes for Above Avalon.
“Music subscriptions based on human curation and discovery are the future, but putting more than 30 million songs behind a paywall won’t help facilitate widespread adoption,” Cybart writes. “Apple Music’s family plan option will give the service life, but more is needed. The free music subscription model will eventually be too difficult for Apple to ignore.”
“By pivoting to include free music, Apple Music will then be in a much better position to put the business of music on a path to sustainability,” Cybart writes. “The music industry needs its ‘App Store’ moment, and the combination of free music, Apple’s premium user base, and Apple Music’s Connect would be the closest thing yet to that vision becoming a reality.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: $4.99/month a the price Apple reportedly wanted from the labels, but were refused – would have been perfect in the U.S. Of course, the greedy music labels shot themselves in the foot because that’s what they do. Perhaps, if they ever wise up, Apple will get to $4.99/month in the U.S. after all.
The labels also shot themselves in the foot when they increased the price for singles from .99 to $1.29 and allowed free, ad-supported streaming in the first place.
I’ve also always contended that album prices were way too high. Why would I ever buy an album when I can pick and choose the couple of songs I like fro much less. IMO, albums would need to be priced closer to $7.99 to even be considered by many. That said, the idea of an album that was based on what physical media could once hold is completely archaic. Bands should release music whenever they are inclined and should have to write filler material to satisfy outdated record contracts.
Neil Cybart. Sure, and it would be great if Apple didn’t have to pay anything to those moocher artists that create the music so they could drop the price to $4.99. In reality, $9.99 a month to listen to anything you want is a ridiculous bargain. Enjoy your 90 days for free and then go away and quit complaining about the price.
I have unlimited data. I can’t wait to steam William Shatners and Leonard Nimoys greatest hits albums. I’m super duper excited.
Shatner’s crooning is out of this world….
Cue the competitors that will offer their music service at $7 a month to undercut Apple. Then cue the record companies that let them, but not let Apple.
Pandora and Spotify don’t make money. Not only artists don’t make money Pandora and Spotify themselves survive on loans and investors. When Apple Music takes a large chunk of customers who are willing to pay, Pandora and Spotify will die (once they can’t get any more cash infusions from investors).