Apple in Talks With Florence and the Machine, Taylor Swift About Exclusive Beats Content
Apple couldn't establish lower pricing for its upcoming music service to distinguish it from competing services, so the company is hoping to draw in subscribers by offering exclusive content. Apple has asked Florence and the Machine and a dozen other artists for exclusive deals to promote the upcoming music service, reports Bloomberg.
Apple is said to be in talks with Florence and the Machine about limited streaming rights to a track for the band's upcoming album in June, and Apple execs have also approached Taylor Swift and others in the hopes of establishing a deal. An exclusive deal with Taylor Swift could be a big win for Apple as she's opted to pull her music from some streaming services like Spotify. Such exclusives could bring in music-loving subscribers that might otherwise not pay for a music subscription.
The strategy is similar to a tactic employed by Jay-Z's recently relaunched music service Tidal, which also hopes to attract subscribers through content that can't be obtained elsewhere. At launch, Tidal released a new song from Beyonce, following it up with an exclusive song from Rihanna.
Exclusives could work to help Apple garner subscribers, but the company's most promising tool for gaining subscribers is its huge existing customer base. Millions of people own iPhones and iPads, and Apple can create a streaming music app that's heavily integrated within iTunes and installed on Apple devices automatically.
As we've heard in previous rumors, Apple is working to completely revamp Beats Music to turn it into an all new subscription music service. It may gain a new name, says Bloomberg, and it will cost $9.99 per month for individuals, with a family plan available for $14.99.
Apple may be planning to unveil its new streaming music service at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
Popular Stories
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle.
Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines.
According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option.
Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator.
The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce.
In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing."
TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far.
Size
Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch.
The key announcements include:
New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January.
"Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light.
The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
