Apple buys Beats for $3 billion: all the news on the not-so secret acquisition – The Verge

Apple reportedly having problems inking last-minute streaming music deals

2015-05-05T14:55:54-04:00

Just days before the launch of iTunes Radio in 2013, Apple was still trying to make last-minute deals with record labels to get the service off the ground. That happened, of course, but put into question whether the service would be ready to go in time for Apple's annual developers conference. Now the same thing is said to be happening in Apple's effort to revamp its streaming music services in time for its 2015 Worldwide Developer Conference, which is a little more than a month away. Citing sources, Billboard reports that Apple is having troubles getting deals signed with record labels, and that getting everything lined up in time "is going …

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Siri won’t let Beats into Dr. Dre’s party in bizarre new ad

2014-08-01T22:14:38-04:00

Beats officially became part of Apple today, and the companies are celebrating with a strange new ad in which no one gets to celebrate at all. In the 30-second spot posted to Twitter, Siri overhears two Beats spokes-speakers happily discussing the news about their new corporate owners. Siri's disembodied voice lets them know that Beats founder Dr. Dre is hosting a party tonight, leading to much rejoicing. "I gotta go get my hair and nails done," shouts the lady Pill, who is named Tina and has a Twitter account. The man Pill asks for directions, but Siri shoots him down. "Sorry, Mikey and Tina," Siri says, not sounding sorry at all. "Dre's pa …

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Beats is now officially part of Apple

2014-08-01T10:27:49-04:00

Beats Electronics is now part of Apple's family. Both companies today published statements on their respective websites essentially confirming that the $3 billion acquisition announced in May is already complete. "Music has always held a special place in our hearts, and we're thrilled to join forces with a group of people who love it as much as we do," Apple said. "Beats cofounders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre have created beautiful products that have helped millions of people deepen their connection to music." CEO Tim Cook took to Twitter with his own messaging welcoming Dre, Iovine, Luke Wood, Ian Rogers, and other Beats employees to Apple.

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How Beats conquered the world

2014-06-12T09:00:04-04:00

Back in the 1970s and 80s, before he helped found Beats Electronics, Jimmy Iovine was a record producer working on albums like Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run and Tom Petty's Damn the Torpedoes. To help him craft hits, Iovine had a radio tower built into the A&M studio on the Charlie Chaplin lot. At the end of each session, he would take the day's mix and broadcast it over the airwaves. Then he would get in his car and drive around so he could hear the music the same way most fans would experience it for the first time, a form of field testing that helped him perfect the final sound.

Fast-forward a few decades and the headphone company crea …

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Apple didn’t want Beats, it needed Beats

2014-05-29T11:30:10-04:00

Onstage at the Code Conference last night, Apple's Eddy Cue and Beats' Jimmy Iovine answered some questions about the marriage of their two companies. Beats is best known for its headphones, the product that built its brand and accounts for most of its revenues. But Cue made it clear that hardware was the less important part of the equation. "You just heard why we did this deal - it's about music," he told the crowd. Beats Music, he said, was the "the first music subscription service done right."

It's about music, not headphones

That's a big compliment for a product that launched less than six months ago and claims 250,000 customers, just a …

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Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine thinks Apple’s earbuds are bad

2014-05-29T00:07:55-04:00

Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine isn't a fan of Apple's iconic white earbuds. On stage at Code Conference minutes ago, Iovine had harsh words for the pack-ins, saying that Apple - the company he will soon work for - makes them simply "to make sure the machine [iPhone] works." But he wasn't done there. "You listen to Apocalypse Now, and the helicopter sounds like a mosquito," he added. Iovine thinks Beats has done better than Apple (and every other headphone manufacturer) in this department. "We turned an entire generation on to audio," he proudly proclaimed. Putting sound quality aside, Beats' sales numbers and the prevalence of red headphone c …

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Beats Music lowers its pricing as Apple buys it out

2014-05-28T20:21:45-04:00

The same day its acquisition by Apple was announced, Beats Music has lowered its annual subscription fee. The service now costs $99.99 for a year, down from $119.88 - there was previously no saving on paying the regular $9.99 price every month. That monthly fee remains the same, but Beats has also extended the free trial period from 7 to 14 days. AT&T customers still get a three-month trial.

The pricing revision means that Beats effectively gives you two more months of service than its main competitors, Spotify and Rdio, if you're committed to spending $100 on streaming music. Both rival platforms do offer $5-a-month plans, but Rdio's doesn …

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Read Tim Cook’s letter to Apple employees announcing the Beats deal

2014-05-28T17:46:13-04:00

Apple's purchase of Beats is the company's largest acquisition ever, so it only makes sense that CEO Tim Cook had an enthusiastic statement prepared for his employees. Cook says that taking ownership of Beats will ultimately improve Apple's product line and extend its ecosystem. "Bringing our companies together paves the way for amazing developments which our customers will love."

Once the buyout is finalized, Beats Music's staff will report to Eddy Cue, who currently leads Apple's various digital storefronts (including iTunes and the App Store) and web services like iCloud. "Both Apple and Beats believe that a great music service requires …

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Apple now makes Android and Windows Phone apps

2014-05-28T17:41:25-04:00

One peculiarity in Apple's purchase of Beats for $3 billion, announced earlier today: Beats still makes apps for Android and Windows Phone, two of Apple's rival platforms.The deal between the companies has yet to close, but that immediately left a very serious question about the future of the service anywhere besides Apple devices.

Now Apple says Beats Music will live on, at least for now. In an interview with the Financial Times, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that apps on both platforms would remain, saying "It's all about the music."

Beats Music will still be available on Android and Windows Phone after the deal, @Tim_Cook tells @FT. "It's …

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Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine’s titles at Apple will simply be ‘Jimmy and Dre’

2014-05-28T17:02:36-04:00

Apple's purchase of Beats is finally confirmed, and we know for sure that Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre will be joining the company as well. Unfortunately, their new titles at Apple aren't helping us figure out exactly what they'll be working on - according to The Wall Street Journal, Iovine and Dr. Dre's titles will simply be "Jimmy and Dre." (It's probably safe to assume they'll continue working on Beats projects, as it sounds like the brand and its products will live on with an identity separate from Apple.) We're not certain, but this is probably the first time anyone at Apple has had a one-word title that echoes his name. Just imagine the bu …

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