Apple Music-All information provided here

nokia211

I know there is a lot of confusion when it comes to apple music in Ireland.
However I emailed Apple and I can confirm that we will be getting Apple Music 2 weeks AFTER the June 30 Launch.
So roughly around the 14 of July.
Hope I cleared everything up.

Anyone getting this service or switching from a service like Spotify?
Discuss

Flaccus

I will definitely consider it. I commute every day and use Spotify for at least 4 hours daily. And even more the weekend. The fact they are including music videos, integration with siri and other stuff sounds great. Especially the live curated broadcasts from DJ's around the world, 24/7. Plus it will automatically import your spotify playlists. On a minus I have read somewhere the highest bitrate will be lower at around 256 kbps, lower than Spotify. Then again I don't exactly have audiophile headphones and even 320kbps is pretty pants compared to Tidals offerings.. I will probably run the trial side by side with Spotify and decide then which is better for me. Looking forward to it.

Here is a decent article about it.
http://www.macworld.com/article/2934744/apple-music-faq-the-ins-and-outs-of-apples-new-streaming-music-service.html

Sad Professor

Actually Apple Music will be 256kps AAC which is takes up less space and sounds as good if not better than the 320kps MP3 used by Spotify. You won't be able to tell the difference.

However I haven't heard anything about you being able to import Spotify playlists. I'd be doubtful about that tbh.

galljga1

I have switched from Spotify to Deezer Elite. Same price as Spotify but lossless. Only available to Sonos customers at the mo.

bert911

6 member family plan for 14:99 works out very good value

nokia211

I have spotify which I love but I think I may make the switch. I also heard that Apple music will have 7 or 8 million more songs than spotify.

Sad Professor

nokia211 wrote: »

I have spotify which I love but I think I may make the switch. I also heard that Apple music will have 7 or 8 million more songs than spotify.

It's about the same as Spotify: over 30 million songs. It was in the Apple press release. It was misreported in some places as being the entire ITunes Store library of 40+ million but it's not.

nokia211

I know not all the iTunes library is included, such as the Beatles.
But there will still be about 7 million more songs.

FourFourRED

Who or what email address at Apple did you email to get the launch date info from?

Sad Professor

nokia211 wrote: »

I know not all the iTunes library is included, such as the Beatles.
But there will still be about 7 million more songs.

What's your source for that? Apple's press release says over 30 million, same as Spotify.

Zcott

I might be getting old, but I like the idea of owning music, even if it's in digital format. I'll definitely take out the free trial, and I might still subscribe, but I'll probably still continue to buy music from artists I really like.

galljga1

Zcott wrote: »

I might be getting old, but I like the idea of owning music, even if it's in digital format. I'll definitely take out the free trial, and I might still subscribe, but I'll probably still continue to buy music from artists I really like.

Same here, I still buy about 50 CDs a year. A subscription to a music service allows you to hear the music first (legally) and then decide whether or not to purchase. It also can introduce you to new music and allows you hear music from artists with whom you may be unfamiliar or barely familiar.

nokia211

Sad Professor wrote: »

What's your source for that? Apple's press release says over 30 million, same as Spotify.

Here is my proof, there are many other websites which say the same thing this is just one

http://www.techradar.com/news/audio/apple-music-vs-spotify-vs-play-music-vs-tidal-vs-deezer-1296240

Sad Professor

nokia211 wrote: »

Here is my proof, there are many other websites which say the same thing this is just one

http://www.techradar.com/news/audio/apple-music-vs-spotify-vs-play-music-vs-tidal-vs-deezer-1296240

All blogs copying each other. None of them give a source for 37 million. The Apple press release says “over 30 million”.

Flaccus

Sad Professor wrote: »

Actually Apple Music will be 256kps AAC which is takes up less space and sounds as good if not better than the 320kps MP3 used by Spotify. You won't be able to tell the difference.

However I haven't heard anything about you being able to import Spotify playlists. I'd be doubtful about that tbh.

It's mentioned on the link I posted above. I guess we will see. Good to know about it being 256kbps AAC.

Sad Professor

Flaccus wrote: »

It's mentioned on the link I posted above. I guess we will see. .

It only says iTunes and Beats playlists will be carried over.

guil

Flaccus wrote: »

It's mentioned on the link I posted above. I guess we will see. Good to know about it being 256kbps AAC.

If you use Beats Music and switch your subscription to Apple Music, your playlists will sync over. But we're not so sure about playlists from other music services like Spotify and Rdio.

jeromeof

bert911 wrote: »

6 member family plan for 14:99 works out very good value

Guys, Has this been confirmed as the pricing for Ireland?

Sad Professor

jeromeof wrote: »

Guys, Has this been confirmed as the pricing for Ireland?

No, nothing has been confirmed for Ireland yet.

Sad Professor

Mr.S wrote: »

But safe to assume it will be same as Spotify, tidal etc.

9.99 single use
14.99 family use

For single use, definitely. For family use, the price will probably be the same but it remains to be see whether it will allow up to 6 people to share it like the US service. That’s a big advantage over the competition and not all the non-US license holders may go for it.

The other difference is that radio most likely won't be free to non-subscribers, at least at first.

DubDJ

I've never been a big fan of streaming but I'll be trying out the trial for Apple Music. Have Spotify but rarely use it, i'd definitely be more likely to use Apple's offering based on the fact it's so tightly integrated.

That release date I wouldn't put too much faith in, unless somebody high up in Apple told you two weeks after the 30th it's most likely bs.

shanec1928

So this showed up today running 8.4 public beta. If you press any buttons on the second screen it does nothing bar grey the options.

Zcott

shanec1928 wrote: »

So this showed up today running 8.4 public beta. If you press any buttons on the second screen it does nothing bar grey the options.

Clicking an album link through Twitter or Facebook opens up the apple music page for that album with options to stream it, but it's not active yet.

DubDJ

Looks like the euro price will be the same as the U.S. Dollar one, unless that's just a placeholder for Europe.

Zcott

DubDJ wrote: »

Looks like the euro price will be the same as the U.S. Dollar one, unless that's just a placeholder for Europe.

Think it's just a placeholder, because I was getting £9.99/£14.99.

guil

Surely it will be €9.99. Spotify in UK is £9.99, U.S $9.99 and €9.99 here.

nokia211

guil wrote: »

Surely it will be €9.99. Spotify in UK is £9.99, U.S $9.99 and €9.99 here.

Yeah i'd say so

flyguy

Spotify premium only costing me €5/month with Vodafone... Don't know if I'd be willing to pay double for apple, already think it's expensive considering Netflix is €7/month. In my thinking series/movies cost more than music. Yes you may listen to music more than once (unlikely with video content) but generally you only pay for it once though. Great, millions of songs for €10 a month, however I think hardly anyone listens to 99.9% of what's on offer.

guil

Currently I pay nothing for my own spotify sub, I got it as part of a deal like the vodafone one but they never cancelled it when i left them. I pay full price for my girlfriends one and my daughter will be looking for something soon enough too so the family price is a no brainer for me.

peteeeed

DubDJ wrote: »

Looks like the euro price will be the same as the U.S. Dollar one, unless that's just a placeholder for Europe.

this article seems to lean the same way

http://9to5mac.com/2015/06/17/apple-music-pricing-uk-europe/

Zcott

Hm, bit on the expensive side for the UK! I was hoping for maybe £7.99...

Sad Professor

They matching Spotify prices, which are based on whatever the labels think they can get the local population to pay. Which in Asia means less than 3 euro a month.

Meanwhile, the indie labels aren’t happy about the 3 month free trial. Many may refuse to participate or not release new albums until its over.

murpho999

Sad Professor wrote: »

They matching Spotify prices, which are based on whatever the labels think they can get the local population to pay. Which in Asia means less than 3 euro a month.

Meanwhile, the indie labels aren’t happy about the 3 month free trial. Many may refuse to participate or not release new albums until its over.

How would that work? Surely the 3 months start when you sign up for it is there an overall 3 month trial from launch?

Sad Professor

murpho999 wrote: »

How would that work? Surely the 3 months start when you sign up for it is there an overall 3 month trail from launch?

Not sure actually. I just assumed it was from launch. Otherwise it would be pretty easy to create a new Apple ID and get another 3 months.

peteeeed

artists may not be paid during the free trial

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital-media/11679030/Record-labels-attack-Apple-deals-that-would-leave-them-completely-screwed.html

No_Comply

peteeeed wrote: »

artists may not be paid during the free trial

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital-media/11679030/Record-labels-attack-Apple-deals-that-would-leave-them-completely-screwed.html

I won't lose any sleep over it.

Zcott

As an artist myself, neither will I. Short term pain with hopefully long term gain.

Ward670

Radio tab appeared there this morning, can't listen to anything yet though

kaerobe

I have an american itunes account running 8.4 beta. I have had access to iTunes radio since launch a few years ago.

Yesterday when I launched the music app I was asked if i wanted my 3 month trial. I pressed yes. Selected 1 user. App crashed. Cant seem to access that option again. Nothing seems to have changed. I do however have the Beats 1 station ''coming soon'' under the radio tab. Anyone seeing anything different?

Zcott

Yeah, I was asked the other day if I wanted the trial. UK account.

No_Comply

Apple have reversed their decision not to pay artist during the trial period.

News comes a day after Taylor Swift's open letter to Apple criticising the original plan.

Sad Professor

I’ve a newfound respect for Taylor Swift. That letter was a brilliant example of a public figure bringing a big corporation to heel. Especially compared to Anton Newcombe’s misinformed and barely literate Twitter rant a few days earlier. Swift praised Apple as a company while expressing disappointment in their decision, shaming them into backing down, all under the guise of her selfless concern for struggling indie artists everywhere. Apple had no choice but to throw up their hands and offer mea culpa. Smart girl.

Of course, it remains to be seen how much Apple will be paying artists per stream. Obviously not as much as they will get through revenue sharing post-trial, but something is better than nothing.

symbolic

Hopefully she gets onto them about their ssd prices next ☺

lee_baby_simms

I can't help but feel that Apple Music will eventually finish off Spotify.

Spotify are still losing money which Apple could afford to lose if they offset it against a bump in hardware sales.

It'll be very interesting to see how many people hold onto the their subs once the 3 month trial ends.

FourFourRED

lee_baby_simms wrote: »

I can't help but feel that Apple Music will eventually finish off Spotify.

Spotify are still losing money which Apple could afford to lose if they offset it against a bump in hardware sales.

It'll be very interesting to see how many people hold onto the their subs once the 3 month trial ends.

It will be available for Android so I'm not sure if Apple Music expenditure could be offset against hardware sales.

murpho999

FourFourFM wrote: »

It will be available for Android so I'm not sure if Apple Music expenditure could be offset against hardware sales.

The fact is if a lot of current iOS Spotify customers jump ship to Apple Music that it will be very damaging for them.

Also Apple are not introducing this service with the view to the expenditure leading solely to more hardware sales. They would view the expenditure as a capital investment in the Apple Music and it will return a profit by itself.

Sad Professor

In the long-term, Spotify is vulnerable for the same reason Dropbox is. Apple Music isn’t a service for Apple, it’s just a feature of their enormously profitable hardware. They don’t need to profit from it. Like the iTunes and App Stores, it only needs to break even, which given there’s no free tier, I'm sure it will.

Spotify’s advantage is that they’ve more experience at this than Apple, who have proven themselves somewhat weak at delivering reliable internet services.

DubDJ

I don't see this as a way for Apple to make more hardware sales. I think this is a standalone service they intend to make money from. That fact that they've released plans for an Android apps shows that this is something that will stand on its own two feet.

It's obviously the trying to catch up and ensure iTunes doesn't lose its dominance but at the same time I see this as a money making service as opposed to the normal hardware shifting services they sell.

FourFourRED

murpho999 wrote: »

The fact is if a lot of current iOS Spotify customers jump ship to Apple Music that it will be very damaging for them.

Also Apple are not introducing this service with the view to the expenditure leading solely to more hardware sales. They would view the expenditure as a capital investment in the Apple Music and it will return a profit by itself.

You're directing this at the wrong person. I was merely stating that Apple Music isn't something that would necessarily cause an increase in hardware sales.

miralize

I think in the long-term it will. Subscribing to Apple Music only furthers your buy-in to Apples eco-system. The more you rely on Apple for services, the more you buy their hardware. Apple has failed in this so far, evident by the amount of people who have an "Unused" or "Crap Apple Apps" folder. They dont yet know how to services, but if they do, and I suspect Apple Music will play a large role in that, it could well be responsible for a lot of hardware sales.

nokia211

What does everyone think about Taylor Swift making a stand against the lack of royalties for artists for three months? I think she was completely right.