Rumor: Apple is considering a single subscription for series, music and articles
According to a rumor, Apple is considering launching a subscription service that will give users access to series, music and articles. If the subscription comes, it probably won’t be for next year.
The plans for the combined subscription are made by two sources who have shared their knowledge with The Information. Apple would like to combine its services into one subscription in several steps and would also like to continue to offer the services separately from each other.
According to the sources, Apple will first introduce a news subscription next year that consists of a combination of Apple News and magazine articles. Information about this has already come out. Apple acquired Texture, a subscription service for magazine articles, in March. The new news subscription would consist of a combination of Apple News and Texture.
Another plan is the integration of video with Apple Music. Apple’s music streaming service has been in existence since 2015 and has 40 million paying users. It is not known when Apple will add video to that service, but behind the scenes Apple has been working on the production of its own series for some time. For example, the iPhone maker recently announced a partnership with Oprah Winfrey. Apple is reportedly investing a billion dollars in making series.
By offering one large subscription containing series, music and articles, Apple could distinguish itself from competitors such as Spotify, YouTube and Netflix. Amazon already has a service that has a wide range with its Prime subscription. If successful, the subscription could make Apple less dependent on iPhone sales, which have been the mainstay of revenue for many years.
The turnover from iPhone sales has been leveling off recently, because the smartphone market is no longer growing or is barely growing. The largest revenue growth at Apple in recent years has been in the range of services, which include iTunes and Apple Music. In the most recent quarterly figures, Apple recorded a turnover growth of 31 percent in that category.