Source: FREDERIC J. BROWN / Getty
Apple Inc. has reportedly approached more than a dozen artists to partner with its Apple Beats music-streaming service as it takes on rival Tidal, recently acquired by Jay Z and other musicians.
The report, from Bloomberg, said Apple AAPL, +0.43% has approached musicians for exclusive deals. It cited British group Florence and the Machine, which is to release an album in June and from which Apple sought limited streaming rights to a track, without saying how the group had responded. Apple also has approached Taylor Swift about a partnership, it said without being more specific.
Apple plans to revamp Beats Music this summer, according to Bloomberg. The $9.99-a-month subscription service competes with Spotify, among others, in addition to Tidal.
Also read: Jay Z launches artist-owned music-streaming service
Streaming, including paid subscription services, is a growing chunk of the music business, totaling $1.87 billion last year and accounting for 27% of U.S. music industry sales, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The number of paid subscribers jumped 24% to 7.7 million, from 6.2 million in 2013.
Apple also approached hip-hop star Kanye West about a partnership, and was turned down, according to a New York Times Magazine article profile of the musician. West said it would have been a multimillion-dollar partnership. The article gave no other details, including when the approach was made.
Apple Wants To Take On Jay Z’s Tidal. was originally published on boom92houston.com
