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Dr. Dre will reportedly star in Apple's first original TV series
Rumors have swirled about Apple building its own TV service for untold months now -- and the company has also been rumored to be creating its own original content, ala Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and basically every other streaming service worth its salt. Now, The Hollywood Reporter says it has details about the first Apple original series. Vital Signs is reportedly a six-episode series starring Apple employee Dr. Dre in a dark, "semi-autobiographical" role.
Apple Music for Sonos comes out of beta tomorrow
Sonos started supporting Apple Music in the middle of December, but then it was technically in a beta. As of tomorrow morning, that beta label will be removed -- the service is now fully supported by Sonos. In our experience, being in beta didn't really hamper usage of Apple Music with Sonos in our experience, but it's good to know that things should be even more stable than they already were. The company now covers pretty much every streaming music service you can think of, but of course you still need to use the official Sonos app to play music on your speakers (unless you're using Google Play Music on an Android device). Still, given how good its newest speakers sound, it's worth that slight frustration.
Slow down, Apple: Perfect your iOS apps before moving to Android
Apple CEO Tim Cook let an intriguing bit of news slip earlier this week at a town hall meeting with the company's employees. Apple Music for Android was apparently just a first step: The company is considering bringing more of its software and services to Google's mobile OS. It sounds a little crazy, as Apple's message for decades has been how well its software and hardware work together. But both Google and Microsoft are infiltrating iOS with their own excellent apps, pushing many of Apple's services to the side. Cook may feel he needs to fight back and bring more Apple apps to Android -- but he first needs to make sure the company's software runs better on its own hardware than it currently does.
Apple Music now lets Android users save music to an SD card
Apple doesn't often make Android apps, but when it does, it's either to secure more iPhone users or give people access to Apple Music. Now that the streaming app has eclipsed one million downloads, the company has begun outfitting it with features that are native to Google's mobile OS. In its most recent update, Apple Music has gained the ability to download tracks to an SD card, allowing users to store more of their chosen beats offline.
Apple ends its free iTunes Radio service
As anticipated, Apple discontinued the free, ad-supported version of iTunes Radio today. If you used the service to create your own radio stations and want to continue to do so, you'll need to join the paid, premium Apple Music service. Desktop and iOS users who try to access the service will instead be a redirected to an Apple Music signup screen. Similarly, if you've been filling in missing iTunes tracks with your own collection using Match, you'll be unable to do so without joining Apple Music.
Apple's ad-supported iTunes Radio will go away at the end of January
iTunes Radio was Apple's first foray into streaming music, but a pretty major change to the service is afoot -- today, the company has started sending emails to customers saying that iTunes Radio will no longer be a free, ad-supported service for iTunes users. At the end of January, you'll only be able to access the service if you're a paying Apple Music subscriber, and Beats 1 will be the only free music option for iTunes users.
Apple Music reportedly hits 10 million subscribers
Apple was quick to crow that its fledgling music service had 6.5 million paying customers back in October, but many people were understandably cautious. Were those numbers actually going to grow, or had Apple already scooped up most of the people who were interested? Apparently, the folks in Cupertino don't have much reason to worry. Financial Times sources understand that Apple Music recently racked up its 10 millionth paying subscriber -- not bad for a service that's barely half a year old. Spotify took 6 years to reach the same milestone, although it now has 20 million Premium subs and (thanks to its free tier) 75 million active listeners.
Streaming music was twice as big in 2015
Nielsen just removed any doubt that streaming music is here to stay. The research group's end-of-year music report reveals that the number of on-demand US streams nearly doubled year-over-year in 2015, to 317.2 billion streams. Downloads unsurprisingly took a hit, with individual song sales diving 12.5 percent and whole albums dropping 2.9 percent. However, the sheer volume of streams appears to at least partly make up for the shortfall -- Billboard notes that the revenue is equivalent to 211.5 million purchased albums. While artists aren't necessarily getting all that extra money, it's a positive sign.
Apple Music could be getting more Beats Music stations soon
Beats 1's radio broadcasts were a key selling point when Apple Music was first announced. Now, it appears Apple is expanding with new radio options. In a series of filings, the company applied for trademarks covering both the names and logos of Beats 2, Beats 3, Beats 4 and Beats 5, which means we could be seeing up to four new stations in the near future. The applications, which were filed last month, follow reports that Apple's agreements with record labels allow it to add five new radio stations without having to negotiate new contracts.
The Beatles come to streaming services on Christmas Eve
The rumors were true: music from The Beatles is coming to your favourite streaming service. From tomorrow (December 24th), you'll be able to listen to all 13 remastered studio albums and four essential collections on Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play Music, Deezer, Amazon Music, Groove, Rhapsody, Slacker and Tidal. Put simply: everyone's invited.
Why I'm leaving Spotify after six years
Spotify changed the way I listen to music. When I joined the service in 2009, I had maybe 4GB of music on my laptop at any given time, and a 2GB Sony MP3 player that I rotated my collection on. I now have an ever-expanding online library that amounts to the equivalent of 80GB, and near-constant access to that stockpile when I'm on the go. I've been a paid subscriber of Spotify since early 2010, and later that year became a user of its mobile app. Last week, after six long and fruitful years, I left the service. Here's why.
The Beatles may hit streaming music services by Christmas
The Beatles haven't exactly been in a rush to embrace the online music world -- there's iTunes, Rock Band and that's about it. However, they might be making up for lost time. Billboard sources claim that the British pop rock legends will make their catalog available on Christmas Eve... you know, next Thursday. It's unclear as to which services will be offering the Beatles, but talks for a half-year exclusive at an unknown service apparently "fizzled out." It's not a repeat of Apple's ongoing lock on downloads, then.
You can start using Apple Music with your Sonos speakers
Just as Sonos promised last month, Apple Music is now available on its platform. Subscribers of Apple's streaming service can, finally, pair their account with Sonos' speaker lineup -- including the brand new, top-of-the-line Play:5. Sonos says the feature will be labeled as a beta for the time being, but it aims to have it fully fledged and bug-free by "early" next year.
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.
Your new Apple TV finally works with the Remote app
Ask owners about their biggest gripes with the new Apple TV and they'll probably mention the text input. Given that the Remote app hasn't worked with the box since launch, you've been forced to enter account info and text searches very... very... slowly. At last, however, relief is in sight: a new Apple TV update brings support for the Remote app on both your iOS devices and the Apple Watch (through the equally new watchOS 2.1). You can now break out your iPhone the next time a streaming video app wants your password.
iOS 9.2 gives you more control over Apple Music and iBooks
Apple is clearly hoping to clear its slate before the year is over. On top of that iPhone battery case, it just posted an iOS 9.2 update that brings big improvements to Apple Music and iBooks. For a start, it's much easier to reconcile your iCloud Music Library with the streaming service -- you can see whether or not any song has been downloaded, and quickly download whole albums or playlists. It's easier to start a new playlist or add a song to a recent list, too. iBooks, meanwhile, supports both 3D Touch (for peeking at pages) and background audiobook listening while you browse books inside the app.
Apple increases iCloud Music Library limit to 100,000 tracks
Apple has made good on its promise to increase the iCloud Music Library limit to 100,000 tracks. This was previously set at 25,000, so the change increases the cap threefold. The move was first teased in June, with Eddy Cue, the company's SVP of Internet Software and Services, promising it would arrive before the year's end.
Sonos will support Apple Music starting December 15th
Sonos will close a major gap in the services that it supports on December 15th -- that's when the company's products will start working with Apple Music. The company said that this would happen by the end of the year back in June, just before Apple Music launched, and it seems that it'll make good on its promises. The service will first be available as part of an open beta, with full availability to come in early 2016.
Jimmy Iovine thinks women need help finding music
I was wondering to myself just the other day: Man, it is so hard to find music. I don't know how to turn on the radio. I don't know how to search for songs on Google. I don't know how to launch iTunes on my computer. I just don't know how to do a lot of things. Thankfully, Jimmy Iovine, the head of Apple Music, is here to help. Apparently it's all because I'm a woman. My boobs must drain a lot of brain cells! In an interview on CBS This Morning earlier today, Iovine said about the streaming service: "Women find it very difficult at times to find music, and this helps make it easier."
Rumor has it Adele's new album won't hit Apple Music or Spotify (updated)
Adele's latest album, 25, is due to release on Friday -- but it's going to skip streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify, The New York Times reports. Adele's previous records, 21 and 19, remain available to stream, as do the new singles from 25. Back in 2011, it took a while for 21 to hit Spotify in particular, as Adele and company wanted to make it available to premium members only, and not as a free, ad-supported option.
