So far, the reaction has been “mostly good” for Apple Music, its new streaming service that debuted June 30.
And, knowing how easy Apple products are to adapt to, many early bugs will either be squashed quickly, or people will soon find themselves willing to learn to live with these minor technological hiccups.
Certainly not everyone is going to like it instantly, such as loyalists to Spotify or Pandora, two streaming services that stand to lose market share. Don’t forget the legion of Taylor Swift enthusiasts, who are proud of her request for artists to be paid. (Apple blinked first on that one, but still included her tunes in its library.)
There was an initial kerfuffle about Beats Music not being all that it was cracked up to be. Or really not having anything at all that some consumers want, besides some “recommended music.” Wired business columnist Marcus Wohlsen even went so far as to call Beats a “broken promise.”
Other feedback on its first day was generally positive – customers liked how you can push one button to request “more music like this.” The “heart”/like feature is a useful one, and the recommendations for music based on where you are, what you’re doing and what your mood is also sounds like it has potential. The new social network, Connect, is a little bit of an unknown – music can be a great conversation starter or discussion topic, and it’s all right there, but some users may not be ready to get involved with yet another social channel.
As TechCrunch describes the service, it’s for “people with no clue what to stream.”
But being Apple, integration/sharing between your other iWhatever products will likely be seamless – iPads, iPhones, Powerbooks, desktops, TV and iCloud storage. The three-month free trial also won’t hurt any and will let people take their time exploring and hopefully they won’t want to give it up when the free ride ends.
Another encouraging sign is how businesses can get involved.
Apple’s iAd program has always made it easy to create an ad campaign, select a budget and target certain Apple users on different platforms or in different demographic groups.
Advertisers are invited to take part in Radio on Apple Music, which offers different channels of different types of music. Audio and video ad slots are available, which can appeal to different types of listeners – those who pick a channel and let the music play continuously in the background, or those who are actively monitoring their selections and channels The Radio on Apple Music advertiser ads can be shown to users beyond the radio channels, including while browsing or playing music, shopping, reading, chatting or using different Apple products.
Having access to Radio might be a great tool for advertisers in knowing even more about their audience. Along with traditional fields like age, location and general interests, Apple can connect advertisers with users who have indicated they like certain types of music and dislike others. The audio and/or video messages can also be shared across different devices.
Ready to learn more about how Apple Music can help you promote your brand? Contact our team of media buying experts today to learn more!
