“When Apple introduced its new streaming service, Apple Music, at the end of June, one of the big questions hanging over it was whether it could compete with outlets like Spotify to deliver blockbuster results for big new albums,” Ben Sisario reports for The New York Times. “In Apple Music’s first major test, the answer is a qualified yes. Dr. Dre’s album ‘Compton: A Soundtrack’ — a loose tie-in to the film ‘Straight Outta Compton’ — had 25 million streams around the world in its first week, and also sold nearly half a million downloads through Apple’s iTunes store, Apple executives said on Sunday.”
“Still, the album’s performance was not quite enough to send it to No. 1 in the United States,” Sisario reports. “When Billboard’s latest album chart is released on Monday, ‘Compton’ is expected to open in second place, beaten by “Kill the Lights,” from the country star Luke Bryan. According to industry estimates, ‘Compton’ — which is being offered only through Apple for its first two weeks — had about 11 million streams in the United States.”
“Compared with other big streaming hits this year, the showing for ‘Compton’ is also modest,” Sisario reports. “Drake’s “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late,” released in February, had 48 million streams in one week, while Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ had nearly 39 million in March. Those albums benefited from the popularity of Spotify, which has 20 million subscribers around the world, and another 55 million people who listen to the service free with advertising.”
Read more in the full article here.
“Russ Crupnick, an analyst at MusicWatch, believes the streaming numbers aren’t that impressive even within Apple Music,” Jeremy Quach reports for The Mercury News. “‘Eleven million is not bad,’ said Crupnick to the New York Times. ‘But it’s not a spectacular number if you take in the number of Apple users that exist worldwide.'”
“It was reported earlier this month that Apple Music has 11 million trial subscribers, but there is no telling how many of those will convert to paying users once the three-month trial periods ends,” Quach reports. “Fortune wrote on how these numbers aren’t something to be bragged about, as Apple is currently in sixth place in the music streaming market.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote earlier this month:
Despite Eddy Cue’s claims of being “thrilled,” doesn’t 11 million seem a bit paltry for a free trial that launched in over 100 countries over a month ago? 11 million free trial users? That’s it? With more than 1/3rd of the trial period now gone? This might be a harder sell than most, including Apple (with their rumored goal of 100 million subscribers), initially thought.
SEE ALSO:
Are 11 million Apple Music subscribers – during a free trial in over 100 countries – worth bragging about? – August 10, 2015
Apple Music has 11 million trial members, App Store has July record $1.7 billion – August 6, 2015Dr. Dre and Ice Cube’s ‘Straight Outta Compton’ box office opening soars to $60.2 million – August 17, 2015
Apple’s Dr Dre tops UK album chart after 16-year absence – August 17, 2015
Apple’s Dr. Dre to donate royalties of new album to build Compton Performing Arts Center – August 10, 2015
Compton: Dr. Dre’s first album in 16 years will be an Apple Music exclusive, debut this Friday – August 3, 2015
Give it ample time dudes!!!
Like Apple TV, this could turn out to be a slow but very successful burner!
Only time will tell on this one….
Oh, yeah, I’ve been waiting breathlessly sixteen years for this lyric brilliance:
Guess who’s back, it ain’t a fuckin’ question
They know the name, bow in the presence of a living legend
Fuck what you heard it’s murda, murda, you gon’ need protection
Some niggas blinded, couldn’t see, so look for me to come and give direction
Who hold the crown, it ain’t no conversation
[?] unless you payin’ homage, remain the hottest
Niggas can’t stop us, that’s just being honest
And makin’ hits, I never had problems munchin’ at the apartment
Don’t get me started, don’t compare me to the newest, nigga
For everyone of you, there’s a hundred more and I watch them comin’ home
My track record ain’t coincidental
And these verses is like hearses consistently killin’ all with instrumentals
Tell me, fuck what would ya’ll do without me?!
Kill yourself or even think of something crazy ’bout me
I’m like I leave your fuckin’ champ, now watch me rope a dope
Just watch him choke, cause everythin’ I drop is dope
Now watch ’em all go up in smoke
I came here to raise hell, I can’t lie
One shot, one kill, it’s real, I ain’t hidin’
You won’t shoot one shot if you ain’t ready to die
And never get it fucked up, I got shooters for hire
Cause you don’t want it, I have you like aye aye
Better back the fuck up, over guns so I try
Now that weak shit will never slide, I despise
You are now not in the presence of nice guys
Look, what the fuck, I was just chillin’ in the cut
And no beginners, only winners run amok, you runners up
You funny fuck like twenty bucks, I know your slut will let me fuck
I told my city “Hold me down”, now look how high they hold me up
I’m Kobe clutch, I hold my nuts till I was old enough to cuss
Was kissin’ bitches after lunch, now that’s a muthafuckin’ rush
Still in highschool, I was fuckin’ niggas bitches on the hush
So no questions, it’s no panties in a muthafuckin’ must
It’s the peoples rapper, I ain’t no rapper
I’m the rapture on the mornin’ after
You lackin’ passion, you ain’t bad, you just a wack distraction
I can’t relax cause I feel the magic smashin’, Tony Braxton
Where your sisters at? Let’s get it crackin’
Look, I was young, I was broke
Had no hope, so I wrote, that’s how I cope
I went hard with no results
New approach, same truth
Just get ready, aim, shoot,then get bing, bang, woof
So they better bring troops because…
I came here to raise hell, I can’t lie
One shot, one kill, it’s real, I ain’t hidin’
You won’t shoot one shot if you ain’t ready to die
And never get it fucked up, I got shooters for hire
Cause you don’t want it, I have you like aye aye
Better back the fuck up, over guns so I try
I had weak shit, we’ll never slide, I despise
You are now not in the presence of nice guys
It’s fuckin’ murder, baby
I’m tryna hurt ’em, baby
I know you heard me, baby
Feel like I’m goin’ crazy
It’s fuckin’ murder, baby
Run, run, run, the cops almost got me
Another tear drop, another fuckin’ body
Uh, uh, uh, another fuckin’ body
Uh, uh, uh, another body
Uh, uh, uh, another body
Uh, uh, uh, another body
Uh, uh, uh, another fuckin’ body, body
Not exactly art- is it?
But we are supposed to be politically correct and call this shit art and the authors artists.
Amazing.
No you don’t. ALWAYS speak your mind and never feel you have to say things to make others happy (or keep them from getting p*ssed off). Crap is crap. And that ‘lyric’ is crap.
I’m sure both of you “cultured individuals listened to the whole album right? No, you probably don’t listen to “rap crap” because you have no understanding of the music or culture. Bet you listen to Elvis and the Beatles though even though both were looked down on when they came out. I guess you’ll dismiss the songs on Compton that make strong social commentary as well. I guess you missed these lyrics.
“These old sneakers, faded blue jeans
No tricks no gimmicks, I be stomping down down down down down demons
Rolling up trees in the belly of the beast
Where the people disagree, the upper class hate
Middle don’t exist, the bottom of the beat, glad I got my sticks
Are you jumping on a fad, laying in a ditch
I be stomping down demons, stomping down quick, come on
[Anderson .Paak:]
The police don’t come around these parts
They tell me that we all a bunch of animals
The only time they wanna turn the cameras on
Is when we’re fuckin’ shit up, come on
[Anderson .Paak:]
Bullets still ringing, blood on the cement
Black folks grieving, headlines reading
Tryna pay it no mind, you just living your life
Everyone is a witness, everyone got opinions
Got a son of my own, look him right in his eyes
I ain’t living in fear but I’m holding him tight
Got a son of my own, look him right in his eyes
I ain’t living in fear but I’m holding him tight
[Dr. Dre:]
Damn, why the fuck are they after me?
Maybe cause I’m a bastard
Or maybe cause of the way my hair grow naturally
Still tryna figure out, why the fuck I’m full of rage
I think I know this is bullshit right around the fifth grade
Paraphernalia in my locker right next to the switch blade
Nothing but pussy on my mind and some plans of getting paid (Ay)
But I’m a product of the system raised on government aid
And I knew just how to react when it was time for that raid (whoa)
Just a young black man from Compton wondering who could save us
And could barely read the sentences the justice system gave us
So many rental cars with bricks, I think they probably funded Avis
Some of us was unbalanced but some us used our talents
Not all of us criminals but cops be yelling, “Stay back nigga!”
We need a little bit of payback
Don’t treat me like an animal cause all this shit is flammable
Don’t fuck around cause when it’s done it’s done
(Fuck you!)
[Anderson .Paak:]
And the old folks tell me it’s been going on since back in the day
But that don’t make it okay
And the white folks tell me all the looting and the shooting’s insane
But you don’t know our pain
[Anderson .Paak:]
The police don’t come around these parts
They tell me that we all a bunch of animals
The only time they wanna turn the cameras on
Is when we’re fuckin’ shit up, come on
The police don’t come around these parts
They tell me that we all a bunch of animals
The only time they wanna turn the cameras on
Is when we’re fuckin’ shit up, come on”
Many more of the songs on the album are in this vein as opposed to the song(that I’m sure you never even listened to) you decided to highlight.
Close minded morons like the two of you is what keeps the world in the shitty state its in.
I am a musician and listen to and have played a wide variety of music. Rap is something, but it is not music.
I do not consider Rap music and have no time for it. It is also about 14:58 into it’s allotted 15 minutes. Your mileage may vary, but history will not be kind to people jumping around on stage clutching their genitals talking shit over a drum machine.
Sounds like hell. Its like the news —if you hear too much of it you’ll get depressed. Also half the people in the world go to bed hungry every night.
So just to follow your logic, because half of the people in this world go to bed hungry(and let’s add to that are victims of injustice and abuse) that people in the U.S. Who are going to bed hungry and are victims of injustice and abuse should not speak about it? I guess when a woman gets raped she shouldn’t complain because millions and millions of women are raped around the world every day. Wow. The amount of sheltered elitist morons in the MDN forums is staggering.
I would like to see the option to discover music on my own from the song lists as displayed in the old iTunes but be able to play the full songs, not just a 1minute sample. I like that i can see so many more songs at one time and have different versions of the same song and different artist’s take on the same song all in the same listing. And if there were also youtube videos of the artist singing the song easily accessible as they really add to the discovery experience. The new iTunes layout and discovery is interesting and well done though. I like to hear artists talking about music. Liked the Elton edited replay with all his comments and just a few seconds of each song. Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, Leon Bridges, Ringo, Don Mclean, Alice Cooper, Bob Dylan, etc,etc, i would like to listen to them DJ and talk about their favorite songs —their own and others— and about their influences and experiences. That would make it all very interesting —maybe many new video interviews and already existing documentaries on artists as well.
For Bob Dylan talking and displaying his influences and likes, just seek out the 100 hours of his “Theme Time Radio Hour” radio show originating from Sirius XM. Available to download for anyone familiar with using an Internet search engine. 100 great hours.
Bob Dylan was villainified, critics despised, said get off the shneid, that ain’t musical they cried, it ain’t fulfillin’ talkin’ ’bout killin’, sotto voce it’s a crime to slime the mime who signs your johnny paycheck. You got to die, versifiy, same ole sing song, we can’t all just get along coz the one with the stun gun deals pain so take a rain check.
Thanks, I’ll check it out.
Firstly Apple getting into the streaming business was a mistake, especially since they had to purchase Beats music for far too much money than required. They could have spent far little than that and could have got a similar offering like the one they have dished out right now.
Secondly they should have launched a separate app for it and after couple of years they should have integrated it into iOS instead of mucking up the music player. Now it is neither here nor there.
Thirdly 11 million taking up the free trial offer is plain pathetic, that shows that buying Beats was a big mistake in big bold letters.
It will be interesting to see how many paying subscribers they will get after the free trial and if they get 11 million then I take back whatever I have said.
And Dr. Dre album wa streamed 25 million times big deal, what else will he do after pocketing a billion dollars he can do crap and people will lap it up.