A couple more interesting nuggets of news regarding Apple Music have come MBW’s way four days ahead of its launch on Tuesday (June 30).
Sources close to the service tell us that Apple will follow the ‘Spotify model’ of pricing: a standard month-long subscription to the platform will cost $9.99 in the US as announced, but no currency exchange will be applied further east – with a £9.99pm price in the UK and, presumably, a €9.99pm equivalent across Europe.
We can only guess that Apple Music’s very attractive family offer in the US – $15 for a month’s subscription for six people – will also be directly converted into pounds and Euros.
Apple is yet to officially announce pricing for the UK and Europe.
In other news, initial confusion over Apple’s controversial three-month trial has been cleared up.
The 90-day free window will start from whenever a customer registers, MBW is told; it won’t be a fixed three-month window from June 30.
There is an obvious knock-on effect here: labels won’t really be able to ‘avoid’ releasing in the three-month window by waiting until later in the year – although the majority of Apple Music sign-ups will likely take place either on June 30 and in the following few weeks.
What else do we know?
Keep an eye on Asia Pacific.
We’re being told the the biggest player in the recorded market, Universal Music Group, is still yet to sign a deal in Australia. (At least, it hadn’t by yesterday morning.)
Expect that one to go to the wire.
Meanwhile, local record companies and distributors in Japan are said to have been reluctant to sign Apple’s deal in the past few weeks, but that all could have changed following the corporation’s change of heart over paying royalties during its free trial.
Finally, will Apple Music get a launch in China?
That’s what some are indicating, which would be a very exciting move for the global music industry.
Apple has only confirmed that Apple Music will launch into 100 territories next week, without breaking them down individually.
Four more days, and the speculation can end.Music Business Worldwide
