Apple is planning to dip their sizeable toe into the cloud-based music business this fall with iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Match, although it’s far from the Spotify killer that many had been expecting. But a curious experiment going on now in the desktop iTunes app could be a sign of things to come.
There’s no doubt that Apple is gradually shifting its business in a streaming direction, having announced iTunes in the Cloud, iTunes Match and iCloud at this year’s WWDC and more recently allowing purchased TV shows to be streamed to an Apple TV without the need for a computer running iTunes. But could there be more on the horizon?
Take, for example, a new experiment currently live on the desktop iTunes app which allows you to stream the latest Red Hot Chili Peppers album absolutely free ahead of its August 30 release. The alternative rockers’ tenth studio album entitled “I’m With You” is also available for preorder via iTunes for $12.99 on the same page, so the move is likely a way to entice fans into getting the immediate gratification of listening now and then being able to download it as soon as it’s available.
It’s a smart move on the part of both Apple and the band (assuming, of course, that the album is any good in the first place) -- but the folks at AppAdvice.com seem to think it may be part of a wider plan for Cupertino to unleash a full streaming music product.
“Unfortunately, this is only a one-time promotion for now, and it’s limited to the desktop version of iTunes,” the website notes. “Yet, it might be the first hint of something bigger to come. Possibly, the promotion also has an experimental aspect, and Apple could expand it to a wider library of paid content. Of course, this is only speculation on our part and only time will tell.”
Although the much ballyhooed competitor Spotify has yet to wave a flag of victory on American shores after finally launching this summer, Apple surely realizes that music fans want another option to stream music rather than owning it -- although personally, we hope they’ll let us have our cake and eat it, too. Guess we’re just old-fashioned that way.
In the meantime, head to the iTunes page for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and click the “Stream Album Now” button to see if you’ll soon be parting with $12.99.
Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
choiceweb
August 24, 2011 at 2:48pm
This is new to iTunes, but not to the internet. NPR Music website streams select albums before they are released. Many bands do the same on their website. Before Apple bought and closed Lala, you could stream an album for free once.
CCardarelli
August 24, 2011 at 8:31am
Sigh. Every time they release an album it reminds me of my younger years and how much more I liked them circa 1992.
Oh and more of this please, Apple. Chances are it'll be the only way to get me to check out mainstream acts, with big targeted pre-release stuff.
