Apple is stealthily piloting the use of Apple Music in businesses like retailers and restaurants via a partnership with PlayNetwork, one of the biggest providers of music for businesses. PlayNetwork handles the licensing and operation of Apple Music for Business.
Anne Steele, The Wall Street Journal:
[Apple] has been quietly piloting a version of Apple Music for use in businesses including Levi Strauss & Co. and Harrods stores.
Seattle-based PlayNetwork, which counts Starbucks Corp. and Estée Lauder Cos. as clients, is among the largest providers of music for businesses including retailers, restaurants and hotels. Such companies license music for use in commercial settings, which costs more–and is more lucrative for music rights-holders–than consumer services like Spotify and Apple Music.
Mood Media Corp. (formerly known as Muzak), Sirius XM Holdings Inc. and Soundtrack Your Brand offer music-streaming service options for businesses in the U.S. costing around $25 to $35 a month per location… PlayNetwork declined to say what Apple Music for Business costs, but said it is priced competitively.
In its six months of operation, Apple Music for Business has landed 25 accounts. When those accounts are fully implemented, the service will deliver music to more than 10,000 store locations–including Apple’s own retail stores. Apple is using its new presence in these stores to market its consumer service to shoppers there. Apple Music for Business has so far focused on retail chains with 100 stores or more. But it plans on expanding into small- and medium-size businesses.
MacDailyNews Take: This ensures artists are being paid fairly for their music vs. retailers, restaurants, and other businesses that use consumer accounts to stream music to an entire store, dining room, or office.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
Why the heck not? Great idea. Everyone wins.