“For many people outside of the U.S. (Apple Music launched in 100 countries), you still have to explain what it is and how it works”, he says. Cue also revealed that there are 2 million subscribers to the $14.99 family plan, which gives access to Apple Music for up to 6 people.
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Just a month after unveiling the new streaming music service, Cupertino, California based Apple, locked in more than 11 million trial members, announced company executives on Thursday. A plain subscription costs $9.99 per month per user, which is not as attractive, cost-wise, in comparison. Of course, many users have decided to opt out of the auto-renew subscription on Apple Music, but there are plenty of converts who will be more than happy to switch over for good once their trial runs out.
Apple’s offering does not include a free on-demand tier, when compared to popular streaming services from competitors like Spotify.
Apple Music’s other rivals will be wary of these figures too, given that Deezer has around 16 million subscribers, of which six million pay, and Jay-Z’s Tidal has less than a million – but that has no free listening option. Cue told USA Today that Apple was “thrilled” by the numbers.
Swift criticised Apple Music’s initial decision for not paying artists during the three-month free trial in an open letter to the company in June. It also incorporates a live radio program called Beats 1, which may help it stand out among streaming services. The real trick for Apple will be to find ways to entice trial users to leave auto-payments turned on at the end of the three month window.
There are about 500 million iPhone owners in the world, he says; of those people, 58% have upgraded their phones with the latest software update that makes Apple Music available. However, that has changed, senior VP Eddie Cue having confirmed that the service has indeed attracted 11 million users in a span of five weeks.
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Apple Music has received mixed reviews, directed at both the content and the interface.
