According to a new report from Billboard, Apple is considering launching an iTunes Store app on the Android platform to combat declining music sales on the digital platform. The report also says that Apple execs are in talks with high level label executives to discuss debuting an on-demand streaming service.
Apple has opened exploratory talks with senior label executives about the possibility of launching an on-demand streaming service that would rival Spotify and Beats Music, according to three people familiar with the talks. Apple is also thinking about adding an iTunes App for Android phones, the Google rival that has been growing faster than the iPhone, these sources said.
The move to an on-demand streaming service could transform iTunes Radio from the Pandora-like radio model to the more robust on-demand model used by Spotify, Rdio, Beats Music, and others.The iTunes Store is currently available on Apple’s OS X and iOS platforms as well as Microsoft’s Windows operating system, a move that made the iPod a viable product for PC users, but the mobile version is only available to iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users.
Back in 2011, Steve Jobs was confronted with this very proposition as Android was proving to be a viable platform and serious competitor to iOS.
“We thought about whether we should do a music client for Android. We put iTunes on Windows in order to sell more iPods. But I don’t see an advantage of putting our own music app on Android, except to make Android users happy. And I don’t want to make Android users happy.”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4AXaFlIFQA#t=31]
But that’s not to say that the move is impossible. Tim Cook has made comments that effectively left the door open for such a move:
“Apple has no religious issue porting an iOS app to Android if it made sense.”
The report comes as iOS and OS X users await more widespread iTunes Radio expansion as the service is currently limited to customers in the United States and Australia leaving Canada, the United Kingdom, and others without the service. It’s also no secret that iTunes Radio has offered a less diverse experience than competing services as some users note repetitive stations and the lack of on-demand consumption.
Earlier this month, our own Mark Gurman reported that Apple is considering pulling iTunes Radio out of the standard Music app on iOS and promoting it to a standalone application. The move would be just one step to give iTunes Radio more visibility in a move to compete with Pandora, Spotify, and similar music streaming services.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
You do realise it’s not April 1st right?
What will be great to see Tim Cook being fired on April 1st. But since then will be April’s No Ball’s Day instead.
They will not do this. The music lock-in is one very good reason why iPhone users won’t switch to Android.
There hasn’t been a music lock in in years. Music is DRM free, so is trivially easy to port to other services, such as Amazon MP3 or Google Music.
Yep. My iTunes library is duplicated in Google Play (and Amazon Cloud for that matter) since they actually have web interfaces for streaming my music and it gives me the option to ditch iTunes Match and/or even iOS devices if I so choose.
How is it that you’re so consistently wrong without being a troll.
Please make iTunes app for android apple! I will jump to android in an instant! Been eye the next version of htc one and nokia Lumia phones. But if you make an iTunes app for android, my iPhone 5 goes on eBay and I buy an htc one with beautiful aluminum design. Like a MacBook Pro crossed with iPhone…..
See, this is why they won’t be doing it. You’re a fool.
So I guess apple will rather let me just switch and use google play music and give google revenue. I would like to stick with iTunes but I can switch to google play music, my library is already uploaded to the cloud. So greedy apple would rather let people switch os and leave ecosystem or switch os and stay with ecosystem? On my iPhone I use gmail, google chrome, google drive, google search, and google maps. Google knows what they are doing. Bringing ecosystem to iOS. Apple does not.
Yeah. They will. Because 2-3x as many people are switching FROM that nonsense to Apple’s ecosystem.
>>greedy apple
Just shut up and go away. You don’t seem to have a clue what we’re discussing here.
Personally I think iTunes on Android for iTunes Radio, Match and whatever the iTunes Unlimited service is called would have a lot of users thinking of switching to iOS not the other way around. FaceTime as well!
I have an iPhone but I think I wouldn’t use iTunes on Android instead of any of the other music apps/services
Technically this move would be pointless and wouldn’t change either sides desire to jump ship. People like their smartphone platforms like they like their politics, they usually stay pretty loyal to their party.
Plus a lot of android users use google play music, but a lot use itunes still, it is extremely simple to sync itunes music to any android device now days thanks to the play app music google made for desktop computers, or you can simply drag and drop the music.
itunes radio sucks, Play Music All Access is far more robust. I use android and I honestly say Heck no! And I doubt google would let that happen honestly.
I agree with Steve Jobs. Why should they make Android users happy? It’s ridiculous. If Apple becomes like Spotify they are only spiraling downwards.
About time Apple creates a Spotify-like streaming service. What took them so damn long??
If you want a Spotify like service… use Spotify.
Unless this is very early stages, this makes no sense to me. Most Android use is outside the USA and they haven’t even got these services running outside the USA on iOS, let alone Android. It seems likely that they would want it to work for iOS users first.
If Apple really wants to rule this market then they need to develop this streaming service and ONLY make it available on iOS.. Thats the way to do it.
You mean like for them to do well in the PC industry they HAD to license the Mac OS to OEM’s and anybody who wants to install it like Microsoft do with Windows?
Last time I looked, Apple were making a healthy profit on the Mac side of things, and have been for many years.
They are about having the BEST, not necessarily the most, unless it’s money, in which case they win quite handily there too.
NO. This is idiotic nonsense.
Read my comment below.
I read your comment. It’s completely irrelevant.
Funny thing iTunes Radio surpassed Spotify despite it being an Apple exclusive service. And since Apple’s market share (both iOS and OSX in their respective categories) is just north of 10%, goes to show how much Apple users actually use (music) services. It really isn’t worth it porting it over to Android. Let alone Android is well known for being the kingdom of piracy, full of people who steal for their own benefit rather than care about the actual developers and artists.
We all know iTunes has great content. Apple offers complete products with healthy ecosystems that offer a distinctive experience to the end user. Want this experience? Buy Apple products. Don’t want it? Buy something else. It just can’t get any simpler.
I am thinking there are multiple ways to implement this without giving up the core of mobile device exclusivity to iTunes and iOS. If Apple does in fact break out iTunes Radio, they could simply allow this App to be cross platform. iTunes Radio on Android would have a subscription or limited free service for streaming. Alsoif they wanted to allow purchases, those that choose to purchase music via the iTunes Radio App would have to store the music on the device permanently, or keep it in sync with iTunes on a Mac or PC. There would be no dedicated cross platform iTunes App on the Android thereby preventing existing music libraries/playlists etc. from being transferred directly from iTunes to Android. Only songs purchased through iTunes Radio App could be moved back and forth if they enable this at all.
Obviously just spitballing here, but I am not sure giving Android the full suite of iTunes content and accessibility would be in Apple’s best interest. This may simply be a way to build out the iTunes Radio service to a commanding lead over other streaming services at a faster rate. I am confident it will get there either way.
Apple removed DRM from their offerings a long time ago. The Courts for a long time have expressed their disapproval of DRM. In the same way that jailbreaking an iPhone was deemed an ‘appropriate use of one personal property’ after Apple stated that jailbreaking violated a terms of service clause in the sale.
Simply put The Courts have said that businesses cannot put a terms of service on products or goods that are sold. Once purchased that song is yours to do with as you please. So long as you don’t violate anyone’s copyright.
Are there still companies that put DRM on their products? Sure.
Is it legal? Sure.
The courts never said such a thing because it isn’t in any way true. When you buy music you LICENSE it’s use. The courts simply agree that you have the right to use it WHERE you like, not HOW you like, much in the same way you can use a CD anywhere there’s a CD player. You’re still restricted in how you can use the music, DRM or not, only it’s under a license term rather than a physical restriction on the file. You don’t own the copyright in other words, just a right to listen to it anywhere the file itself can be played, which is damn near everywhere at this point given the format.
How is it that everyone in the comments is forgetting that Apple is more than iOS?
People are talking about how Apple would never want to make Android users happy, and so on …
You don’t realize that Android users’ money makes Apple even happier. iTunes was the first digital music store that really hit it big. It’s still really big and still makes real money. Apple wouldn’t be offering this On-Demand service for free. In the same way that iTunes Radio uses ads or an iTunes Match subscription to generate revenue and is not free.
People don’t buy music at home any more; in the same way that people stopped buying music in stores. We switched to mobile purchases for their convenience. People are listen to music on their phones; they want to buy, download and listen all on one device. Now, quicker than people switched to mobile purchases people are now buying subscriptions and streaming the latest single straight to their device.
If Apple remains stuck-up about the superiority of their platform and their phone – they’ll be ignoring a huge segment of people. It’s very similar to the iTunes to Windows switch. Put iTunes on Windows and sell more iPods. Put an iTunes Radio On-Demand App on Android and sell more subscriptions.
Apple will always strive to be the end all be all of digital content sales. They’ve been very successful. However, in order to ensure their presence in the market and compete with Beats Music, Amazon MP3, Google Play and others they have to be available as an option to those customers.
Great, it’s good to have a choice. iTunes it’s a not excatly a user friendly tool though.
Steve Jobs is turning in his grave … Tim Cook must be fired !
What the heck is he thinking? There is no profit increase for Apple with such a stupid move! It would just make Apple look weak.
AND it’s not going to generate profits.
Those buying Android smartphones and tablets pirate everything, they want everything for free. Less than 10% buys anything, either app or music or videos/movies.
So… who is Tim Cook thinking to sell music on iTunes to, uh?
There are no paying customers on the Android platform for Apple. Surely not for selling music with iTunes.
Tim Cook clearly is an idiot. His nonsense crappy plastic iPhone 5C already proved that to the world.
I imagine the profit would come from free services offered such as iTunes Radio’s Ads. (；一_一)
It’s total rumour and speculation at this point and will remain as such until Tim Cook or some other SVP gets up on stage and tells us otherwise.
I hate these kind of stories. They have absolutely no evidence yet are reported like they’re concrete fact rather than the rumours and BS they really are.
I wasn’t sure if this was likely or not until I read that Tallest Shrill was against it and then I knew it was not only likely but practically inevitable given that he is almost always wrong about anything Apple related. How has that guy not been banned by now?
He mostly knows what he’s talking about…but has little patience for complete morons. Its pretty understandable.
Apple is not considering anything to benefit the Android platform. I don’t think you need me to tell you this.
It does not compare to iTunes on Windows. That was to drive iPod adoption, not to sell more music.
What Android user is actually going to buy music on their phone? Are we to believe Apple’s stats that Android users don’t use the damn things, and that they’re suddenly going to start shopping on iTunes if it became a downloadable App? LMAO.
I use android and honestly nothing would really change if they did this, you can already use itunes music on any android device.
Never. Going. To. Happen.
is it just a rumor?
This won’t change much for either platform honestly, it will just make it slightly easier for android user who purchase their music on itunes to transfer it to their devices.
Although if you don’t know how to transfer itunes music to your android device wirelessly through the google play music app or manually by simply dragging and dropping the songs over to your device, then you should not be using a smartphone in the first place.
Here is a video about transferring itunes music to android
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCp1I9wgsxU