Apple Music
Apple Music is a subscription-based music streaming service provided by Apple. The service was initially developed as Beats Music by Beats Electronics with significant creative input from Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, who served as Chief Creative Officer, and NIN art director Rob Sheridan, who was deeply involved in the service's creation and design.
Development and "Project Daisy" (2011â2013)
The origins of Beats Music can be traced back to 2011 when Beats Electronics acquired the streaming service MOG for an undisclosed amount. Following the acquisition, Beats officials stated their goal was to develop a "truly end-to-end music experience."
In December 2012, Beats hired Reznor to serve as Chief Creative Officer for a new music service codenamed "Project Daisy." Reznor was initially approached by Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine, whom he'd known from Interscope Records, to consult on headphone audio quality, but the conversation shifted when Iovine mentioned the streaming service project. As Sheridan explained in a 2013 interview: [1]
Jimmy [Iovine] has a tremendous amount of respect for Trent. But when Jimmy initially brought Trent on board at Beats, he was looking at him just as a producer and an audio guy... It was by chance then that Jimmy mentioned this other Beats project, this streaming music service. That was something Trent was really interested in, problem solving as it pertains to the music industry and business models.
Reznor had previously tackled the problem of modern music distribution in his experiments with the pricing and distribution of Saul Williams' The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! and Nine Inch Nails' Ghosts IâIV and The Slip. Reznor's vision for Beats Music centered on intelligent curation and personalized music discovery. In a 2012 interview with The New Yorker's Alec Wilkinson, he explained: [2]
What's missing is a service that adds a layer of intelligent curation... As great as it is to have all this information bombarding you, there's a real value in trusted filters. [Daisy is] like having your own guy when you go to the record store, who knows what you like but can also point you down some paths you wouldn't necessarily have encountered.
Beats Music Official Launch (January 2014)
Beats Music officially launched in the United States on January 21, 2014, after being in development for over two years. The service offered:
- A library of over 20 million songs for on-demand streaming
- Offline downloading capabilities for subscribed users
- A unique personalization system combining algorithmic recommendations with human curation
- Playlists curated by music professionals and publications including Rolling Stone, Rap Radar, and Pitchfork
- Prioritization of original master recordings over cover versions
In order to help promote the new platform, Nine Inch Nails released the promotional Remix 2014 EP for exclusive streaming on Beats Music, as well as reissuing the previously Spotify-exclusive Live 2013 EP on Beats Music.
Acquisition by Apple and launch of Apple Music (2014â2015)
Just a few months after Beats Music's official launch, Apple acquired Beats Electronics on May 28, 2014, for $3 billion. [3] One of the primary reasons Apple acquired Beats was for the Beats Music service. Apple needed an entry point into the streaming music market, as consumer music consumption increasingly moved toward subscription services. Apple Music launched on June 30, 2015, and the legacy Beats Music service shutdown on November 30, 2015.
Reznor transitioned to Apple Music, where he continued to contribute to the evolution of the music streaming landscape. His role as Chief Creative Director at Apple Music involved integrating Beats Music's technology and philosophy into Apple's ecosystem, ensuring a seamless transition for users.
Rob Sheridan, who had been involved with the project as creative director since 2011, chose not to transition to Apple alongside Reznor, as he felt the project under Apple was no longer a good fit for him, and because he was also transitioning away from NIN at the time.[4]
In order to promote the Apple Music launch, Reznor and Nine Inch Nails posted exclusive content to Apple Music Connect, a direct artist to fan communication feature, including With Teeth Instrumental, The Fragile Instrumental, Gone Girl outtakes, and footage from the NIN 2014 Europe/UK Tour.
Reznor left Apple in 2018, citing a disinterest in being involved in marketing over artistry.[5]