Apple's Beats-based streaming service said to be priced at $7.99/month, feature curated tunes

February 15, 2015

Apple's been rumored to have a new streaming service in the works ever since their $3 billion acquisition of Beats Music, and now we've got just a few more details on what might replace iTunes Radio. One such detail the price, which is said to be currently debating around $7.99/month (higher than competitors such as Spotify or Pandora).

Interestingly, an overhaul of the music available in the iTunes Store might be in the cards:

Other clues suggest a major scrub to the iTunes store, which will rid itself of thousands of titles including soundalikes and certain covers, all at Apple's discretion, say insiders. Moreover, the disallowed music includes artist rerecordings, favoring original or best-of versions and, critics contend, the major labels that retain those rights. Additionally, featured-artist sliders, previously chosen editorially, may now be determined by sales velocity, leaving some to wonder if iTunes is becoming less like a Tower Records and more of a Target -- limited selection and a focus on hit titles. "Until now, iTunes has been good to the indies," contends one vet. Conversely, an Apple source says such case-by-case house-cleaning to eliminate duplicative and deceptive versions is routine.

While we find it hard to imagine Apple actively culling thousands of titles from iTunes, we can see the "duplicative and deceptive" cleansing as a net positive for customers (especially if that same library is going to be leveraged for streaming). What form, exactly, Apple's new streaming service will take is up in the air, though we'll likely find out more about it in the next several months.

Source: Billboard