The Guardian is reporting that Apple has acquired media analytics startup Semetric, apparently as part of the ongoing Beats Music relaunch. Of note, Semetric owns Musicmetrics, an analytics tool for artists to track the popularity of their music around the web.
Apple replied to the Guardian with its typical company acquisition statement:
“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plan,” said Apple in a statement provided to the Guardian, although Semetric declined to comment.
The Musicmetrics platform measures things like BitTorrent activity, social network reach and other sales data to offer comprehensive reports on the uptake and reactions of the general public for a given song. The Guardian says that Apple’s reinvention of Beats Music, set to launch later this year, is the reason for the buyout. However, this is not confirmed and it is worth noting that the company would also synergize well with the iTunes team overall.
Interestingly, The Guardian notes Musicmetrics has a deal with Spotify to integrate Spotify statistics into its dashboard, making it one of only a few companies with such access.
A relaunch of Beats Music is planned for later in 2015, with some reports claiming Apple wants to cut monthly subscription prices to just $5. In addition, the revamped app may become a stock app on the iOS Home Screen.
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quote:
“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plan”
Sounds like Katie never left.