Mikey Campbell
A report on Wednesday claims Apple poached a handful of top producers from BBC Radio 1 to work on a secret streaming music service rumored to debut later this year, potentially as a rebranded Beats Music.
Sources familiar with the matter told Music Business Worldwide that Apple snapped up four producers, including employees from BBC Introducing, a show that features undiscovered talent.
The publication named James Bursey as one producer leaving Radio 1 for Apple. Bursey will reportedly reunite with former BBC DJ Zane Lowe, a Grammy-winning tastemaker hired by Apple in February. Natasha Lynch and Kieran Yeates were also mentioned as potential new hires.
"There's no denying that there's something of an exodus to Apple from Radio 1 right now," one BBC source said. "With four producers joining Apple, that hiring of Zane all-of-a-sudden makes much more sense, doesn't it?"
The report also speculates that Deezer executive James Foley may also be headed to Apple, as he recently left his position as the streaming music company's head of editorial for a secretive competitor.
Apple is widely rumored to be working on a subscription-based streaming music service built on the Beats Music framework. Recent reports put Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor at the helm of Apple's unannounced project, which could feature artist exclusives and launch with a price tag of at least $9.99 per month. Jimmy Iovine and other Apple employees are also said to be working on the Spotify rival.
Christine McKee
Wesley Hilliard
Malcolm Owen
Andrew Orr
William Gallagher
Sponsored Content
15 Comments
To me it sounds like Apple is looking to have something special. Algorithms, such as what Pandora employs is absolute crap. Especially with music lovers who's knowledge and depth of music a far more complex that find it maddening. The human element is not something you delegate to computer script. The human element, especially in discovery is something that is a must. There is so much new music being produced every day, that more than ever before, we need a concerted effort to make it discoverable and accessible. To dig through it and sort it. To have PEOPLE who love music help curate it. And the same could also be said about the App Store.
To me it sounds like Apple is looking to have something special. Algorithms, such as what Pandora employs is absolute crap. Especially with music lovers who's knowledge and depth of music who find it maddening. The human element is not something you delegate to computer script. The human element, especially in discovery is something that is a must. There is so much music that more than ever before we need a concerted effort to make it accessible. To dig through it and sort it.
That was the magic of Beats Music. Combine that with the trillion-dollar Apple brand and the wealthiest customer base possible, and if it fails, it won't be for lack of support.
Minor gripe:
"Poaching" is probably an unfair verb. Apple is recruiting and hiring people from BBC Radio 1. That's normal and completely legitimate. Calling it "poaching" sounds sinister and underhanded... and is probably unwarranted.
[quote name="Slprescott" url="/t/186056/apple-reportedly-poaches-more-bbc-radio-1-staff-for-streaming-music-project#post_2718108"]Minor gripe: "Poaching" is probably an unfair verb. Apple is [U]recruiting[/U] and [U]hiring[/U] people from BBC Radio 1. That's normal and completely legitimate. Calling it "poaching" sounds sinister and underhanded... and is probably unwarranted. [/quote] Use of emotionally charged terms is commonplace in the SEO rankings race. In other words, clickbait.
Seems that the definition of music is main stream aimed at teenagers fed by marketing judging by these hires. Music goes way beyond the limited spectrum that bbc radio 1 churns out. Let's hope they understand that discerning music lovers would never tune in to radio 1.