Apple’s decade of dominance through iTunes, the iPhone and countless add-ons has been a spectacular success. Now the world wants streaming music, and Apple wants in.
Tomorrow morning the company will bring out it’s latest software update, iOS 8.4, and with it Apple Music. Essentially anyone with an Apple ID will get access to 24-hour radio-styled streaming.
Calling on DJ names such as Zane Lowe, Apple hopes that the shift away from buying digital – a market the company itself largely created, shaped and profited from – is plump enough now for its entrance.
The iOS 8.4 upgrade will need to be downloaded to get access to Apple Music, and after that, well, who knows? Streaming hasn’t proved too profitable for prominent companies like Spotify, for example.
What’s clear is that Apple has form for eking the most profit out of almost every sector it enters.
When MP3 players were at their zenith, the iPod dominated some pretty excellent competition. The iPhone realigned how we communicate, pioneering what is the modern smartphone.
The iPad created the tablet segment, and this year’s release of the Apple Watch looks like it could go some way to kickstarting a wearables market currently in its infancy.
It’s remarkable to think that Apple enthusiasts could be owners a MP3 player, smart watch, smartphone, Mac, MacBook and iPad; buy music through iTunes, drive cars with iOS dashboards and now stream music through Apple Music.
After investing in Beats a while ago, Apple has opened the door for its streaming service for all to see.
Now it’s just a case of waiting to see (a) whether or not the streaming market is something a company can derive significant profits from and (b) whether Apple can continue its fine record of servicing its fairly-adoring consumers.
Main image, via Shutterstock
