It’s been the question on everyone’s lips ever since its huge acquisition story a few months back, but the mystery around just what Apple will do with Beats Music may be about to come to an end. With Apple expected to make use of the streaming service in one way or another, the question has always surrounded whether it would keep Beats Music as is, or roll it into iTunes instead. Now, following a report that claims to cite multiple sources, it appears that Beats Music may be living on borrowed time.
The news, which comes from TechCrunch, said to be verified by as many as five different sources who are in a position to know, has Apple destined to sunset Beats Music after having already begun the transition of staff from the popular music streaming service to Apple’s own in-house projects, including iTunes itself.
But alas, things aren’t always as clear as they may first seem. In the wake of the TC report, Apple has reportedly told Re/code that Beats is not being shuttered at all, but that it will instead undergo some changes as time ticks along. It’s arguable whether the new report actually debunks what TechCrunch’s sources are saying though, as if Beats Music does undergo significant changes then it may, for all intents and purposes, be a new service completely. This would jive well with assumptions that the Beats Music that lives in won’t be the same as the one we’re using today.
Beats Music may be a streaming service, but it works slightly differently to other alternatives in the market. By offering curated playlists rather than simply pushing albums and single tracks to users, Beats Music has garnered plenty of praise, including from Apple CEO Tim Cook during a recent interview with Charlie Rose.
If Apple is indeed about to kill Beats Music off for good, then the question that’s left is a simple one: what will happen to it? The smart money is on Apple rolling the playlists and streaming technology into iTunes, whether that be iTunes Radio or a spinoff.
Much talk since the acquisition has centered around just why Apple decided to bring Beats under its wing. Was it about getting Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre on board and selling headphones, or will we see Beats Music resurrected under another name?
For the price Apple paid, we can’t help but think there is more to come from this acquisition than a simple hiring of two people.
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