It was back in March of 2013 when Beats Electronics acquired upstart music streaming service MOG. The plan was to utilize the streaming audio service and act as an extension of Beats Audio, forming Beats Music, initially dubbed “Project Daisy,” a name inspired by Beats Electronic’s President/COO, Luke Wood. The new venture was largely made possible thanks to the owner of Warner Music Group, Access Industries, and their $60M investment courtesy of founder Leonard Blavatinik — Russian billionaire who ranks among the top 50 richest people on the planet.
Fast forward to the the first month of 2014 and we’re just days away from the official launch of the Beats Music subscription streaming service in the United States.
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How It’s Different From The Competition
The difference between Beats Music and soon-to-be competitors like Spotify, iTunes Radio, and Google Play Music is that there will not be any type of free streaming option. Free streaming may eventually become a thing of the past thanks to companies like Beats as they are set to provide what they consider to be a much more integrated experience for the user.
You might be questioning if there’s truly any upside to enroll in Beats Music when you can already freely stream with other services. That’s where the Beats team has it covered. Throughout their process of trying to create the next major business model, Beats has made a play to incorporate playlists by using some of the industries’ top influencers as curators. They’ll turn to their 147 employees which include the likes of Pitchfork’s former editor, Scott Plagenhoef, and founding Nine Inch Nails member Trent Reznor, who now holds the title of Chief Creative Officer. The playlists will not only be customized based on your personal selection, but location, time of year, and even the activity you’re partaking in.
The Service
The audio giant is planning an aggressive marketing attack to push the $9.99-a-month service by aligning themselves with Ellen Degeneres, who will feature the service on her show, ads during the Super Bowl, as well as partnering with mobile giant AT&T, and mega-retailer Target.
Target will offer a free 30-day trial to customers who buy certain electronics during the week of January 26th. AT&T will also offer a free 30-day trial of the 320-kbps streaming service, but the most promising promotional campaign Beats Music will push is the $14.99-a-month family plan, allowing up to 5 separate accounts — an exclusive to AT&T customers.
Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre have turned Beats Electronics into a billion dollar company and if there’s anyone that can change the face of streaming music as we know it, it’s these guys. Beats Music will be available on Web, iOS, and Android January 21st. You can head over to their official site to claim your official username.