“Watch out, Netflix. Apple, the richest company in technology, is finally moving into original video content,” Vindu Goel reports for The New York Times. “Apple said Monday night that it would introduce its first two television-style video series on Apple Music, its subscription music-streaming service, in the spring.”
“Other original videos, including scripted dramas, are planned over the next year as Apple tries to build Apple Music into a cultural platform, said Jimmy Iovine, who heads the $10-a-month service,” Goel reports. “‘There are a bunch of projects. We’re in it. This is what Apple Music is going to be,’ Mr. Iovine said in an interview Monday night. ‘Apple Music will have video and other things that I can’t talk about. We’re going to be aggressive about it.'”
MacDailyNews Take: Good thing it’s called “Apple Music.” You know, so it can “have video and other things.” It’s as well-named as iTunes Store is today. As in: Not very.
Apple “insists it has no short-term plans to directly challenge streaming-video giants like Netflix and Amazon, which are increasingly commissioning high-quality original shows to attract and retain subscribersBut Apple does intend to use original video to help distinguish Apple Music, which began in June 2015 and has attracted than 20 million subscribers, from competitors like Spotify.”
“‘Planet of the Apps,’ is a reality TV series about iPhone app developers competing to build the next great app,” Goel reports. “In the show, developers will make 60-second pitches, receive mentoring from the musician Will.i.am, the actors Jessica Alba or Gwyneth Paltrow, or the social media entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk to develop their ideas, and then try to persuade a venture capital fund, Lightspeed Venture Partners, to invest in them. The winners will get prime billing in Apple’s App Store.”
“Mr. Iovine said that Apple Music was also working on other video projects that are ‘so opposite’ to the first two,” Goel reports. “‘We’re doing dramas,’ he said. ‘They just take much longer.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Using Planet of the Apps to sell music subscriptions is like trying to entice fish with an anvil. Beyond one musician mentor and the possibility of the odd music app, what part of Planet of the Apps has anything whatsoever to do with music?
By now, we’ve each had a couple coffees and we still don’t see how a screamingly derivative melange of Shark Tank and The Voice based on financing app development sells Apple Music subscriptions.
As well as Carpool Karaoke fits Apple Music, Planet of the Apps does not.
Furthermore, as per “Apple Music,” Apple has a history of naming things with a lack of foresight. Beyond the now horribly named “iTunes” and “iTunes Music Store,” which later became just “iTunes Store” even though it sells way more that just tunes, another example among many: Apple shelved the iPad to work on the iPhone first, fully planning to launch the iPad soon after, but initially named the OS “iPhone OS” anyway, necessitating a later change to “iOS.” Even when they knew exactly what was coming, no naming foresight was deployed.
SEE ALSO:
Eddy Cue: ‘Planet of the Apps’ is another way to sell more Apple Music subscriptions – February 14, 2017
Apple debuts ‘Planet of the Apps’ trailer for new Apple Music series – February 14, 2017
Jessica Alba joins Apple’s ‘Planet of the Apps’ reality series – August 30, 2016
Gwyneth Paltrow, Gary Vaynerchuk and will.i.am Join ‘Planet Of The Apps’ as mentors – August 4, 2016
Open Thread: Will you watch ‘Planet of the Apps?” – July 15, 2016
Apple calls for developers to star in reality show ‘Planet of the Apps’ – July 13, 2016
Dr. Dre to star in Apple’s first, sex-soaked scripted television series ‘Vital Signs’ – February 12, 2016
Apple looking to develop original TV series as part of new video strategy, sources say – January 29, 2016
Why Apple might feel compelled to get into original content – September 2, 2015
\Just because Apple may be getting into original content doesn’t mean it can produce good shows – September 1, 2015
Apple made ‘audacious bid’ for Top Gear trio of Clarkson, Hammond and May, but lost out to Bezos’ Amazon – September 1, 2015
Apple’s move into content creation could devastate Netflix and Amazon
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Why would Apple want to make their own movies and TV shows? – September 1, 2015
Apple exploring entry into original entertainment production – August 31, 2015