Apple Music has teamed up with UK Mobile networking service EE to offer customers free subscription with the music streaming service.
Those who will be joining or renewing their contract with EE will be offered Apple Music for free, as the iPhone maker is looking to push further into the digital music market, therefore making up for it’s declining iTunes base. Alongside this, Apple are looking to increase their subscriber loyalty and help the app challenge Spotify, another leading music streaming site. However, pay as you go customers won’t be able to get the same offer.
Apple Music launched in June 2015, but before this, came iTunes. Apple’s iPod and iTunes were known for having “revolutionized digital music“, but former CEO, Steve Jobs was known to be opposed to the idea of music subscription services.
Apple has always prioritised music, since it paid $3bn to buy headphone and streaming company Beats, back in 2014. Since then, Apple had planned to merge Beats’ own service Beats Music and iTunes Radio service. Sony Music CEO Doug Morris confirmed on June 7, 2015 that Apple had plans to announce a music streaming service.
According to the Financial Times, EE is the UK’s largest mobile carrier, with 27 million consumers on its network. This gives Apple Music a large variety of potential customers which could help with the push into streaming.
The Telegraph states that “the service will be offered free for six months with a new contract to EE pay monthly customers, double the three-month free trial otherwise provided by Apple. Afterwards users will pay the normal subscription charge, currently £9.99, via their mobile bill.”
EE said that Apple Music usage will count towards subscribers’ data allowance. Engadget.com says “It’s the standard win-win scenario for both companies. EE hopes it’ll tempt users to stick with or move to the network, with Apple hoping you’ll cough up £10 each month to keep your subscription active after the trial period ends.”
The deal made by EE is the latest in a push to bring together different media services with mobile subscriptions. The move came after another UK network – Vodafone – began to offer its customers free Spotify and Sky Sports or Netflix access. This is not the first time that EE has bundled media services with its subscription, as recently the mobile network has began offering six months free access to BT Sport.
According to techradar, “the move from Apple shows it’s set on trying to break the music streaming stranglehold Spotify has on the UK market, willing to offer more of the service for free in a bid to entice continued users.”
This leaves high hopes for Apple’s subscriber numbers, especially after the fact that Apple Music has been under scrutiny as of late, especially against competitors Spotify and Tidal – the streaming service set up with the help from Jay-Z that streams ‘exclusive’ music from artists and claims to pay the highest percentage of royalties. The latest on this comes after Frank Ocean released music exclusively to Apple earlier this week from his personal record label—not the major label he signed with: Universal Music Group’s Def Jam.
The offer will go live on September 1, and users can sign up at EE.co.uk/applemusic.
