Rumor: Apple to integrate Beats streaming service with iOS

Apple wants to integrate Beats’ music streaming service into iOS. The service is likely to be renamed. Apple got its hands on the music streaming service through the acquisition of Beats in May, for which Apple deposited 2.4 billion euros.

The integration of Beats into iOS could happen as early as March, writes the Financial Times. That would mean that Beats’ streaming service, which now has more than 100,000 subscribers, would be installed on hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads at once. Before that happens, the service will be adapted and probably given a new name, the newspaper writes.

The question is what the integration of Beats with iOS means for alternative music streaming services such as Spotify and Rdio. Google previously added its Play Music service, which includes streaming functionality, to Android. That has not hindered the growth of the number of Spotify users for the time being.