Beats CEO Jimmy Iovine Meeting with Musicians Over Exclusive Beyonce-Like Album Releases

Beats CEO Jimmy Iovine has been meeting with a number of music artists over doing exclusive album releases similar to Beyoncé's incredibly successful iTunes album last year, reports the New York Post.

Citing sources close to the matter, the paper notes that Iovine is using his close connections with popular musicians like Nicki Minaj, Pharrell, and Gwen Stefani to create new side deals that would bring exclusives, with Beats also said to be negotiating additional promotional deals after a successful campaign with AT&T earlier this year.

It’s been almost a year since Beats Music launched with a brace of Super Bowl spots starring Ellen DeGeneres and a big promotional backing from AT&T.

The promotional relationship ended a few months ago, and parties are discussing future deals. "They outperformed expectations in terms of the upsell," said one source of AT&T.

beyoncebig
In February, it was reported that Apple's iTunes chief Robert Kondrk met with record label executives during Grammy Week in January about the potential of more exclusive album releases similar to Beyoncé's. Kondrk emphasized sales through digital storefronts like iTunes in those meetings, and asked executives if they could lock down individual track sales after a certain window of time to create greater attention for artists and their music.

Beyoncé's self-titled album broke a number of records after its exclusive release on iTunes last December, selling over 828,000 copies in just three days to become the fasting selling collection of music in the service's history. The album was backed by significant promotion on the iTunes Store and across various social media networks.

Popular Stories

iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
Netflix Smaller 4

Netflix Kills Casting From Its Mobile App to Most Modern TVs

Monday December 1, 2025 4:36 am PST by
Netflix has quietly removed the ability to cast content from its mobile apps to most modern TVs and streaming devices, including newer Chromecast models and the Google TV Streamer. The change was first spotted by users on Reddit and confirmed in an updated Netflix support page (via Android Authority), which now states that the streaming service no longer supports casting from mobile devices...
Cyber Week Deals 2025

Best Cyber Week Apple Deals Include Big Discounts on AirPods, Apple Watch, and More

Sunday November 30, 2025 7:33 am PST by
Cyber Week is here, and you can find popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more at all-time low prices. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Specifically,...
Sad Siri Feature

Apple AI Chief John Giannandrea Retiring After Siri Delays

Monday December 1, 2025 2:16 pm PST by
Apple AI chief John Giannandrea is stepping down from his position and retiring in spring 2026, Apple announced today. Giannandrea will serve as an advisor between now and 2026, with former Microsoft AI researcher Amar Subramanya set to take over as vice president of AI. Subramanya will report to Apple engineering chief Craig Federighi, and will lead Apple Foundation Models, ML research, and ...
studio display purple february

M5 iPad Pro Could Hint at New Studio Display Feature

Sunday November 30, 2025 10:30 am PST by
The updated specs of the M5 iPad Pro may point toward a major new feature for Apple's next-generation Studio Display expected in early 2026. Apple's latest iPad Pro debuted last month and contains one display-related change that stands out: it can now drive external monitors at up to 120Hz with Adaptive Sync. The feature should deliver lower latency, smoother motion, and fewer visual...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Black Friday iPhone Deals Still Available

Friday November 28, 2025 6:24 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: Apple's Big Plans for iPad Mini 8

Friday November 28, 2025 8:39 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through the latest rumors about Apple's upcoming iPad mini 8. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos The next-generation version of the iPad mini is expected to feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple...

Top Rated Comments

roadbloc Avatar
143 months ago
iTunes Exclusives is great for everyone. It rewards the best music fans who choose to consume music in the right way. It rewards the biggest and most talented artists with more revenues. And Apple also benefits from being at the forefront of the biggest music releases.

I only buy CDs so obviously, I disagree. Consume music the right way? How ignorant.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sandstorm Avatar
143 months ago
iTunes Exclusives is great for everyone. It rewards the best music fans who choose to consume music in the right way. It rewards the biggest and most talented artists with more revenues. And Apple also benefits from being at the forefront of the biggest music releases.

First - I stongly disagree that iTunes is "the right way". Not until Apple offers a proper streaming at least.
Second - exclusives are a slippery slope. Do I really need to explain this?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iososx Avatar
143 months ago
The only true benefactor of using iTunes is Apple.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arbitter Avatar
143 months ago
iTunes Exclusives is great for everyone. It rewards the best music fans who choose to consume music in the right way. It rewards the biggest and most talented artists with more revenues. And Apple also benefits from being at the forefront of the biggest music releases.
Wait what? According to you iTunes is the option to consume music the right way? I agree it is a way. But the right way? Shortsighted.

I for one do not like these exclusive deals. What do people do that don't have iTunes or an Appe account, and already pay for a streaming survice like Spotify. Good for Apple to rake in some money sure, but not good for the consumer. Always better if it comes out on all platforms at the same time. Also prevents illegal sharing of course.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macUser2007 Avatar
143 months ago
Nope, most without an iTunes account or Beats subscription will not rush to sign on just to hear these exclusives.

This is how the road to mass piracy begins then, again?

Or did someone at Apple just realize that they paid 2.5 billion too much for this Beats thing?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
143 months ago
On John Gruber's latest podcast he said he's heard that the Beats deal was 100% Eddy Cue. He was the one inside Apple pushing for this deal. If this is why then he has way more power than he should have inside Apple. People hate exclusives. There's a lot Apple needs to do to improve iTunes. Offering exclusives from artists who are best buds with Iovine and Dre isn't it. It will be a turnoff more than anything else.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)