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March 24, 2014

Could iTunes for Android Be Apple's Big New Hit?

There is no shortage of places from which to get streaming music. Pandora, Spotify, even YouTube can supply many of the songs that drive our lives. But iTunes—already a major portion of the landscape—is reportedly potentially looking to expand outward by going from merely a single-song distributor to a fully streaming alternative complete with subscription. But that's not the end of the noteworthy changes possibly afoot as Apple is also considering making the jump to a different platform, specifically major competitor Android.

The reports suggest that Apple is at least looking into the idea of a cross-platform jump, a phenomenon that for Apple is largely unheard of, particularly in terms of Apple's mobile software development. The current word notes that Apple's iTunes Radio service allows users to make stations based on songs and artists and the like, much in the same way that others do. Paying for iTunes Match, meanwhile, allows users to buy a way through the advertising for just $24.99 a year, though individual songs do still at last report need to be bought through iTunes. But the idea of a paid streaming service is still a new one, and at last report, still in talks best described as “early.”

The idea of moving Apple product, particularly iTunes, to other platforms is one that's been around for some time. It goes back at least as far as Steve Jobs, who didn't have much good to say about the idea of bringing iTunes to Android devices as Android gained in popularity, nor for the idea of bringing iTunes to Windows. But with Jobs' passing and Tim Cook's ascendancy to the top slot at Apple, a change has occurred, with Cook noting that the company had “no religious issues” in bringing the software to other devices.

But this doesn't seem to just be a straight porting of the software, either, as reports also suggest that Apple is looking for a number of exclusive album releases, in a bid to both put a spark under digital sales but also gain a few more successes like Beyonce's recent album that was iTunes' fastest-selling title yet, according to iTunes. But with album and individual track sales both down based on word from Nielsen SoundScan, it may be a tougher sell than some might expect.

A sluggish economy is likely still to blame here, with people still concerned about jobs and income looking less at the extras and more at the essentials. Given that many of the essentials have likewise gone up in price over the last several months, though, certainly doesn't help matters. But Apple may be on to something in a streaming radio service; after all, Apple has a very substantial install base and expanding outward can really only help. It likely won't get all of that install base as well, but any extra number of users is worth considering, especially when sales are down among the current install base. If Apple can recover the lost downloads with other platforms, then why not make the expansion? Plus, as the economy improves overall, it will mean other downloads down the line.

The end result is that Apple could use a little fresh juice to revitalize flagging sales numbers. Only time will tell if this approach works, or even if this is an approach Apple will take. Still, iTunes is a name to reckon with, and going up against Pandora, Spotify and the rest will still be a fight, but one in which Apple will likely do well.




Edited by Cassandra Tucker


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