Apple Music's Taylor Swift concert exclusive is one big bet

Oh, how far Apple has come from the days when it was effectively giving Taylor Swift the cold shoulder. The tech giant has announced that Apple Music will be the exclusive home of Swift's 1989 world tour concert video when it drops on December 20th. On top of that, Recode understands that Apple is going all-in on using Taytay as a marketing tool: she'll get an interview on Beats 1, big retail store displays and special iTunes gift cards. We're sure that even Apple favorites like Drake are feeling a tad jealous.

It's not too hard to see why Apple would pour so much effort (and if leaks are to be believed, money) into making its streaming option virtually synonymous with an artist. This is Apple Music's first holiday season, and it could be crucial to proving that the service has the staying power that many Spotify rivals lack. It's a bet that Swift's tour video is enough to deliver not just a momentary spike in new subscribers, but the kind of momentum Apple needs to become a heavyweight in the streaming music game.

[Image credit: Steve Exum/LP5 Getty Images for TAS]