Apple’s radio station ‘Beats 1’ has relaunched and been rebranded to ‘Apple Music 1″ which more closely aligns with the company’s overall naming structure. In addition, the radio has two new channels, Apple Music Hits which will focus on hits from the 80s to 2000s, and Apple Country showcasing country music stars.
“For the past five years, if ever there was a meaningful moment in music culture, Beats 1 was there bringing human curation to the forefront and drawing in listeners with exclusive shows from some of the most innovative, respected, and beloved people in music,” said Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music, Beats, and International Content, in a statement. “Now, Apple Music radio provides an unparalleled global platform for artists across all genres to talk about, create, and share music with their fans, and this is just the beginning. We will continue to invest in live radio and create opportunities for listeners around the world to connect with the music they love.”
Apple Music 1 will follow the same format as Beats 1 and feature artist interviews, global premieres, and exclusive breaking music news. It’s seen as more of a traditional discovery radio station to compete with rivals like Spotify and Pandora that create curated playlists and “thumbprint radio” personalized to the listener.
This rebranding may have to do with Apple’s latest plans to offer services in bundled packages. Sources say the bundles are being called “Apple One” and are being designed to drive subscriptions to multiple services. In November 2019, we shared a report that Apple was considering bundling Apple TV+, News+, and Apple Music as soon as this year. So it makes sense that the Fruit would want all of its media offerings, including radio, to be similarly branded under the Apple name.
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