Apple Music launched on the 30th of June 2015, but its true origin story began years earlier with a man who famously hated the very concept of subscription streaming. Steve Jobs, the late CEO of Apple, had spent his career building the iPod and iTunes store on the premise that people should own their music, not rent it. He explicitly opposed the idea of a service where users paid a monthly fee to access a vast library, believing it would devalue the art form. This philosophy stood in stark contrast to the emerging landscape of Spotify and other competitors that were gaining traction through ad-supported models. The shift in direction only occurred after Apple acquired Beats Electronics in 2014, a move that brought the company ownership of the Beats Music service and its CEO, Ian Rogers. This acquisition effectively buried the old Jobs-era dogma, replacing it with a strategy that prioritized access over ownership and paved the way for a service that would eventually host over 100 million songs across 167 countries.
The Swift Intervention
Before Apple Music could even find its footing, it faced a public relations crisis that would change its business model forever. In the days leading up to the launch, Taylor Swift, one of the world's biggest pop stars, wrote an open letter criticizing Apple's decision not to pay artists during the three-month free trial period. She argued that it was unfair for Apple to expect artists to work for free while the company acquired new subscribers, stating that Apple Music would not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those months. Swift announced she would withhold her album 1989 from the service, a move that threatened to undermine the platform's credibility before it had even started. The backlash was immediate and severe, with other industry players like the Beggars Group also voicing their disapproval. The following day, Apple Senior Vice President Eddy Cue announced on Twitter that the policy had been reversed, promising that Apple Music would pay artists for streaming even during the free trial period. Swift immediately responded, placing 1989 on the platform and declaring it the first time it felt right to stream her album. This single intervention transformed Apple Music from a potential flop into a service that respected the financial realities of the music industry.The Cultural Platform
Under the leadership of Jimmy Iovine, Apple Music evolved from a simple music player into an ambitious cultural platform designed to be a one-stop shop for pop culture. The company began investing heavily in original video content, including music videos, concert footage, web series, and feature films. This strategy was not merely about adding value to the subscription but about creating a destination for culture itself. In 2016, Apple acquired the rights to Carpool Karaoke from The Late Late Show with James Corden, adapting it for exclusive distribution on the platform. The service also launched original series like The Score, which explored local music scenes around the world, and Planet of the Apps, a reality show where software developers pitched ideas to judges. By hiring top television executives from Sony, such as Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, Apple signaled its intent to compete directly with Netflix and HBO in the realm of music-related storytelling. This expansion into video content was a deliberate effort to turn the service into a hub where users could consume music, watch documentaries, and engage with the stories behind the artists.