Out with the Old… in with the New? Thoughts on Apple Music
Categories: Information Introductions
Last week, at WWDC, Apple announced their new music platform, Apple Music which will be released on June 30th. As I was listening to the keynote, regarding Apple Music, I kept thinking to myself how it is different from other music players such as Spotify, and Pandora.
As a dedicated iTunes user since 2003, I have religiously ripped CD’s, downloaded singles and have a collection of perfectly adapted playlists to fit every mood. Apple Music is going to build on this. With their membership package (which will be a free trial for 3 months), I will be able to access more than just the music I have purchased. In other words, they are making their ENTIRE music library available to me at any time and it will integrate with my existing library.
The next feature is their radio, Beats 1 which “broadcast live from cities around the globe.” How this works has me a bit baffled, however we will see when it goes live! I think my biggest question is what the radio will involve? Will it be similar to Pandora where it determines your likes and dislikes based on your input or will it be like the radio in your car where you have no say in what is played? Something to think about!
So, what does this membership have to offer? There are two membership options. First is the “Single Membership” for $9.99 per month. If you are someone who purchases an album every month on iTunes, this membership might be useful. If not, I personally find $9.99 per month a little pricey, especially with Spotify constantly advertising “$0.99 for a 3 month subscription.” That said, after the three months is up, the price jumps to $9.99 per month. So there really isn’t much difference here AND it connects with your existing iTunes library. BUT, they have also given the option of “Family Membership” for $14.99 a month for up to 6 people! So for $2.50 a month, I could have all of this at my fingertips. Guess I’ll be calling some family members ASAP! And, for those wanting clarification, according to the keynote, each individual will have their own profile so you won’t be sharing that either.
In the end, I think I just might have to leave Spotify behind for a little while and go check out Apple Music for 3 months to decide if it’s something I want to commit too!