Apple wants to destroy their top competitor, Spotify, by adding Netflix-style original content to Apple Music in the future.
Prince once sang that he’d seen the future, and Apple is taking a page out of that book with their plans for Apple Music. No, they aren’t purchasing the streaming rights to Prince’s catalog of music — yet — but there are big plans for the months and years ahead.
With Spotify current infringing on a ton of Apple real estate in the marketplace, there seems to be a push for original content on Apple Music to once and for all dominate mobile streaming services. According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple wants to create more original television for their streaming services, thus entering the ring with heavyweights already creating such content.
The idea here seems to be Apple wants what Netflix and Amazon have — prestige streaming. Netflix has been nominated for an Oscar while Amazon joined their big brother in the Golden Globe winners category this past weekend. Even Hulu is getting in on the awards bait, and it seems that could be the major play here for Apple.
Apple Music may never be on the same level as Netflix or Amazon as far as prestige content is concerned, but we’re truly in a never say never era for only content. We all said similar things about Amazon when they took on Netflix and the service is now home to award-winning original content.
If Apple can find a way to take that route as an marketplace leader, beating Spotify to the punch with original scripted content, then that could be the clincher. Apple Music is already in line to host a ‘Carpool Karaoke’ spinoff based on the popular segment from James Corden on Late Late Show. That’s not the scripted drama that will get Apple the critical credibility that it seems to be striving for though, but it does hint at a push for video content on Apple Music.
Don’t worry about this raising your subscription cost though — at least not initially. Apple is expected to include the video content in it’s $10.99 package, but that should change if things take off for them.
