Apple has just announced the launch of its new music streaming service, unsurprisingly named, Apple Music. With over 30 million tracks available and the benefit of a trusted brand, will the service be able to compete with its popular counterparts?

As far as pricing is concerned, Apple has not attempted to undercut its competitors, matching the $9.99 per month subscription fee charged by Tidal and Spotify for its Premium service, with an identically-priced secondary plan for $14.99 if you choose the family package. What we most like about Apple Music is its promise of a round the clock radio channel called Beats 1, and a social network entitled “Connect”, for artists to share music, videos, and pictures on. The app will also enable Siri, allowing users to have any song played upon request. We also like the fact that it will combine your iTunes library with Apple’s own vast database of music, offering huge choice and tailored recommendations. So why the new venture? It’s no secret that Apple has been affected in recent years, losing iTunes customers to the lure of free or cheaper streaming services, which effectively allow you many more songs than you could hope to purchase from iTunes, and for a much cheaper price- Apple Music will definitely take some of the strain away from flagging iTunes sales.

Apple’s competitors already have some unique selling points, questioning whether Apple Music will be able to compete. Tidal, for instance, boasts exclusive content from top artists such as Rihanna, Jay Z and Taylor Swift, who left Spotify after objecting to the platform’s free service. Tidal also pays it artists a higher rate, meaning users have access to better quality and more current music from the best in the business. And Spotify of course offers a huge database of free music, which streamers can access if they also bear the brunt of being played intermittent adverts too. It was also the front-runner in music streaming, building up a base of loyal fans and artists. And for artists tied to both these platforms or bound by record contracts, it will be difficult for Apple to procure exclusive content and deals.

But where it hopes to entice users is with a host of celebrity DJs who will make Beats 1 their home- including the likes of Zane Lowe who will anchor the show and broadcast from LA, Ebro Darden from New York, and Julie Adenuga from London. Surely, this will be Apple’s unique selling point, as it hopes to bring back the joy of radio to its platform. Where Apple also stands to make gains, is by infiltrating Spotify’s demographic. Currently, around 90% of Spotify’s revenue comes from those who pay for the service’s premium subscription fee at $9.99 a month. By charging users the same, as well as launching on Android, Apple is certainly tapping into Spotify’s market. Secondly, we think that Apple Music might be an easier platform for smaller musicians and bands to be discovered on, where they would likely have found themselves swallowed up by Spotify’s saturated platform. But ultimately, we don’t see Tidal or Spotify being pushed into oblivion, instead, we imagine that Apple Music will simply appeal to a new audience who like the combination of social networking, big name DJs, and multi-platform compatibility.

What do you think of Apple’s news? Will you be signing up for the service, or sticking to your trusted Spotify or Tidal instead? And which other platforms (if any) do you use for music streaming? We’d love to hear your thoughts as always, so please tweet to us @PracticeDigital and share your comments on our Facebook page.