Since its launch last year, Apple Music has managed to grow its user base to a total of 13 million subscribers, thanks in part to a generous three-month free trial. Still, the service isn’t doing as well as it could, and it seems that Apple is aiming to do something about that sooner rather than later.
Apple is reportedly in the process of overhauling the user interface of Apple Music, according to a report from Bloomberg which is based on sources who wish to remain anonymous. The new design aims to better integrate streaming and downloaded music, along with other tweaks. We might not have to wait long to see it, either, as the service could be set to debut at Apple’s WWDC event in June.
The road to Apple Music began two years ago when Apple acquired Beats, and with it, Beats Music. When Apple’s streaming service finally launched, critics were quick to point out flaws, claiming the service didn’t live up to the company’s standards. This could have been the case within the company as well, with several key management departures taking place.
The new user interface is said to be designed by Robert Kondrk and Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor. Chief Design Officer Jony Ive’s team and executives Eddy Cue and Jimmy Iovine, who joined Apple as part of the Beats acquisition, are also providing input for the new look and feel of the service.
Since Apple Music’s launch in June 2015, Apple has been reluctant to advertise the service to users who remain content to purchase their music from iTunes. This will reportedly change, with Apple preparing an extensive marketing campaign to accompany the launch of the redesigned app. The company hopes that this will draw more users to the service.
While 13 million subscribers may sound like a lot, that number isn’t close to Spotify‘s reported 30 million paying customers, let alone its total user base of around 100 million. BGC Partners analyst Colin Gillis told Bloomberg that Apple Music should be much larger considering the company’s hardware ubiquity. “Apple Music is underwhelming. They have subscribers because of their platform. If you have that kind of subscriber base, you should have millions of subscribers,” he said.
If Apple Music is indeed getting an overhauled interface for WWDC, it will be shown during the event’s keynote, which kicks off on June 13 at 10 a.m. PT.
