Connect may have an uphill battle ahead, while the rest of the service shines. The exclusive content promised at launch is lacking. There is little opportunity for fans to interact with their favorite artists outside of comments and likes. It is ‘Ping’ brought back from the grave a standalone service that lost traction thanks to Twitter and Facebook.

The most controversial section, mostly because of Apple’s past failures, is Connect: Apple Music’s social media network. From there, Apple Music compiles a comprehensive list of both playlists and albums you might enjoy. It takes the tedium out of the selection process. It’s selection menus are wildly creative, asking you to tap bubbles of your favorite genres and artists. The most interesting of all is the “For You” page, denoted by a heart. Apple is not holding back any features for this launch, except for an on-demand version of Beats 1 due later this year. Most of the above can be found in Apple Music.Īt the outset, Apple Music can be overwhelming. Even Beats Music began as a situational streaming service much like Songza, delivering the right music for the right mood. Pandora touted its industry-leading curation algorithms, while Spotify celebrated its social connectivity. They watched as every streaming service under the sun exercised very unique positioning. This time was no different as Apple sat back and let the competition duke it out first. Sit back and tune in because Apple Music just added a new wing to your music library.Īpple is notorious for carefully studying the market before entering the ring. That is how Apple changed the music industry 15 years ago with iTunes and the iPod. The main event, however, will prove much more difficult for the Swedish upstart.Īpple Music, launched today worldwide with the iOS 8.4 update, revolutionizes the standard Music app you have come accustomed to.

Tidal’s C-Suite is currently in disarray, so it’s only fair to declare Spotify the winner of that brutal bout.

In less than 24 hours, Apple Music became the most popular streaming service in the world.Ī few months ago, we spoke at length about the duel between Tidal and Spotify, and how the music streaming business is a war of size over sound.

Apple itunes vs spotify