AppleInsider Staff
When CarPlay debuted in 2014, Internet radio service Pandora, seemingly a perfect fit for an iOS-based automotive system, was conspicuously absent from Apple's list of launch partners. That may soon change, according to one Pandora executive.
As part of a wide ranging interview with FOX Business Network on Tuesday, Pandora's chief financial officer Mike Herring broke the silence on upcoming compatibility with Apple's in-car infotainment solution, saying the streaming service will "definitely be in CarPlay."
While Herring failed to produce a timeline of availability, he is the first company official to comment on Pandora's CarPlay plans. Pandora was a glaring omission when Apple announced CarPlay one year ago, and the streaming Internet music giant has yet to make its way onto Apple's in-dash system.
With CarPlay to be featured in 40 new car models made by major manufacturers, Apple's is primed to significantly expand its footprint. For Pandora, partnering up on the project could be a boon for subscriptions.
Aside from CarPlay, Herring said Pandora and Apple have a "frenemy kind of relationship going on," noting that while the two companies are partners, it is a "very interesting relationship."
After releasing iTunes Radio and purchasing Beats Music, Apple is now a direct rival to Pandora's free and subscription tiers. The streaming music industry is rife with competition and constantly faces pushback from record labels wary of ceding content rights.
The iPhone maker is heavily rumored to be hard at work on a redesigned, and possibly rebranded, Beats Music According to insiders, Nine Inch Nails frontman and Beats' former chief creative officer Trent Reznor is now in charge of developing the service.
Malcolm Owen
Christine McKee
Charles Martin
William Gallagher
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12 Comments
Pandora and other streaming services have opened a box of worms for the music world. Is there any way back in? I'm not sure there is. We can look forward to a future where no-one gets paid and music dies. It's already started. Thank you for the music, world before streaming.
[quote name="Benjamin Frost" url="/t/185500/pandora-cfo-says-service-coming-to-carplay-calls-apple-frenemy#post_2701761"]Pandora and other streaming services have opened a box of worms for the music world. Is there any way back in? I'm not sure there is. We can look forward to a future where no-one gets paid and music dies. It's already started. Thank you for the music, world before streaming.[/quote] There's definitely no going back, the "entitled" generation is in full swing.
[quote name="RedRaider2011" url="/t/185500/pandora-cfo-says-service-coming-to-carplay-calls-apple-frenemy#post_2701803"][quote name="Benjamin Frost" url="/t/185500/pandora-cfo-says-service-coming-to-carplay-calls-apple-frenemy#post_2701761"]Pandora and other streaming services have opened a box of worms for the music world. Is there any way back in? I'm not sure there is. We can look forward to a future where no-one gets paid and music dies. It's already started. Thank you for the music, world before streaming.[/quote] There's definitely no going back, the "entitled" generation is in full swing.[/quote] People might have to learn how to play instruments themselves. The horror.
Do artists not get paid when their music is played on a streaming service? I seem to recall some fuss about that regarding royalties. Simply put, this is a threat to labels and lawyers, not artists. Thanks to studio economics, artists only see pennies on every dollar worth of their music sold. They make the majority of their profits from merchandise and ticket sales for their tours. Because of this, just getting their music out and building up their fan base is how they maximize profits. Streaming music is fantastic at this, especially when combined with social media. No, the only people looking to lose money here are the label suits, lawyers, and digital sales services like Apple's own iTunes. No, if you all want to bemoan the death of good music, blame the mega studios that are up all the smaller labels in the late 90's and early 00's, and overhauled the industry from local music shops into melodic Walmarts. And people wonder why music today all sounds the same, and can't be bothered with creating something original when it's easier to pay a licensing fee and just sample billboards top 50 from the last 5 decades with a few verses thrown in from whatever pretty face the kids seem to identify with this week and some wub wub on top. Oh brave new world.
[quote name="Cash907" url="/t/185500/pandora-cfo-says-service-coming-to-carplay-calls-apple-frenemy#post_2701871"]Do artists not get paid when their music is played on a streaming service? I seem to recall some fuss about that regarding royalties. Simply put, this is a threat to labels and lawyers, not artists. Thanks to studio economics, artists only see pennies on every dollar worth of their music sold. They make the majority of their profits from merchandise and ticket sales for their tours. Because of this, just getting their music out and building up their fan base is how they maximize profits. Streaming music is fantastic at this, especially when combined with social media. No, the only people looking to lose money here are the label suits, lawyers, and digital sales services like Apple's own iTunes. No, if you all want to bemoan the death of good music, blame the mega studios that are up all the smaller labels in the late 90's and early 00's, and overhauled the industry from local music shops into melodic Walmarts. And people wonder why music today all sounds the same, and can't be bothered with creating something original when it's easier to pay a licensing fee and just sample billboards top 50 from the last 5 decades with a few verses thrown in from whatever pretty face the kids seem to identify with this week and some wub wub on top. Oh brave new world.[/quote] iTunes pays artists something like ten cents a song. Spotify pays something like .oo1 cents a play. Pandora pays something like .01 per song. So if supporting artists is your thing, buy the song.