Apple intends to push its subscription music service Beats to every iPhone and iPad by as early as next year, new report claims.
According to a Financial Times report, Apple is planning to include the Beats app in its next update to the iOS operating system used on iPhones and iPads.
“Apple will bundle the subscription music service it acquired from Beats into its iOS operating system early next year, instantly making it available on hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads – and ramping up pressure on Spotify, the market leader in music streaming,” the report reads.
If the report is found to be true then this will mean Apple’s Beats Music will be rolled out as one of the pre-installed iOS apps in an upcoming software update, giving the music subscription service an exposure to reach hundreds of millions of iPhone, iPad devices. The move is expected to happen as soon as March next year.
The Cupertino reportedly paid around $3bn for acquiring Beats’ headphones and music app business sometime earlier this year in an attempt to re-establish its digital music leadership, which it had lost after iPod sales and iTunes downloads dropped drastically.
It is also rumored that Apple has already begun discussions with record labels over new licensing terms that will see the monthly subscription price for Beats Music dropping to as low as $5 a month, down from $10 a month.
Apple declined to comment on the report.
