Apple Music has been the focus of numerous record-breaking reports in recent weeks, and the latest comes from rapper J. Cole after he broke the service's record for most album streams in the first 24 hours in the United States. In total, subscribers streamed J. Cole's fifth album "KOD" 64.5 million times on Friday, April 20, surpassing Drake's "Views" -- the previous record holder -- by almost 1 million streams.

Apple reported the numbers to The Verge, also stating that seven of the top 10 most streamed songs in a 24-hour period on Apple Music are all from "KOD." In total, Apple Music represented 66 percent of first-day streams for "KOD" in the U.S. and 60 percent worldwide, edging out streaming competitors like Spotify in terms of streams for J. Cole's latest album.

j cole KOD apple music
Earlier in April, Cardi B broke Apple Music's record for most first-week streams by a female artist, surpassing 100 million streams. The rapper's numbers grew so rapidly after "Invasion of Privacy" launched that she beat Taylor Swift's streaming record, launching the album into Apple Music's fifth most-streamed album ever.

As Apple Music continues to grow, one analyst predicted that the service will keep up its progress and average 40 percent growth each year for the next three years. Apple Music currently sits at just over 40 million subscribers, so analyst Ben Schachter's prediction puts the streaming music service at over 100 million paid subscribers sometime in 2021. Given Apple Music's steady growth, that milestone could happen even sooner.

J. Cole's success with "KOD" follows Carl Chery's exit from Apple Music to Spotify. As head of hip-hop programming, Chery was instrumental in garnering success for Apple Music in the hip-hop/rap genres, helping to discover artists like Khalid, 6LACK, and Post Malone. At Spotify, Chery will reportedly work on the service's RapCaviar playlist and bolster Spotify's hip-hop presence in much the same way as he did for Apple Music.

In a separate report from Variety this morning, Apple is said to be gearing up for a bigger push into country music by moving Apple Music's Jay Liepis to Nashville. In the city, Liepis will lead a team "dedicated to being more involved with artists, managers, songwriters and the label community at large." Later in 2018, Apple will open an office in Nashville with the hopes of keeping "an eye on closer relations" with the country music industry, as well as other genres growing out of Nashville, including rock, pop, Christian/gospel, Americana, and hip-hop.

Top Rated Comments

THE JUICEMAN Avatar
96 months ago
I've coined a new word for Apple Music: Crapform. It's a platform where crap can thrive.
Just because you don’t like a particular music genre it’s crap? Ok.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr_Brightside_@ Avatar
96 months ago
I'd take drunkards doing karaoke at this point.
What thoughtful discourse
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
shadowbird423 Avatar
96 months ago
It's a great album that challenges rap culture to grow up a bit. If you like rap, you'll love it.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CaptMarvel Avatar
96 months ago
NC’s very own!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
96 months ago
I've coined a new word for Apple Music: Crapform. It's a platform where crap can thrive.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TigerMSTR Avatar
96 months ago
It seems like there is a piece about new Apple Music record every other week, and they are mostly rap/hip-hop...
Have you looked at the music charts lately? It's almost all Hip-Hop. Hip hop his the new rock, as they say.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro: Release Date and Pre-Orders

Friday September 5, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple will be holding its annual iPhone event on Tuesday, September 9, to unveil the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Assuming that Apple sticks to its familiar pattern, the iPhone 17 series should be available to pre-order starting Friday, September 12 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time / 8 a.m. Eastern Time. The release date for the devices should be one week later, on Fr...
iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

New iPhone 17 Pro Details: Brighter Display, Best Battery Life, and More

Wednesday September 3, 2025 5:33 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models will feature a number of significant display, thermal, and battery improvements, according to new late-stage rumors. According to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital," the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature displays with higher brightness, making it more suitable for use in direct sunlight for prolonged periods. The iPhone 16 Pro and...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Coming Next Week: Eight Reasons to Upgrade

Thursday September 4, 2025 7:38 am PDT by
We're only days away from Apple's "Awe dropping" fall event scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023. By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro's Biggest Design Mystery is Finally Solved

Friday September 5, 2025 9:33 am PDT by
Apple is set to unveil the iPhone 17 series in just four days from now, and the biggest design mystery surrounding the Pro models has finally been solved. In a report outlining his expectations for Apple's event next week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the iPhone 17 Pro models will have "a new cutout area on the bottom two-thirds of the phone that doubles as the wireless charging area."...
iPhone 16 Battery Life Feature

iOS 26's New Battery Life Mode is Limited to These iPhone Models

Wednesday September 3, 2025 1:19 pm PDT by
iOS 26 introduces an Adaptive Power Mode on the iPhone, alongside the existing Low Power Mode. Apple says Adaptive Power Mode can make "performance adjustments" when necessary to extend an iPhone's battery life, including slightly lowering the display brightness, allowing some activities to "take longer," and automatically turning on Low Power Mode when the iPhone's remaining battery life...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Prices Estimated Ahead of Apple Event Next Week

Tuesday September 2, 2025 1:50 pm PDT by
Just one week before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series, an analyst has shared new price estimates for the devices. Here are J.P. Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee's price estimates for the iPhone 17 series in the United States, according to 9to5Mac: Model Starting Price Model Starting Price Change iPhone 16 $799 iPhone 17 ...