Apple May Release iTunes Exclusively For Android

A new report from Billboard says that Apple is planning to release a new iTunes app version for Android OS, in an effort to increase sales of its digital music. The company is also having talks with senior executives about releasing a new on-demand music stream service to compete with Beats Music and Spotify. This would help in recovering the double-digit iTunes download drop in the U.S.

It’s surprising though, because Steve Jobs never thought consumers will pay to download music. He also told author Walter Isaacson that launching an iTunes app for Android would only make rival user platforms happy. He wasn’t interested, considering he wanted to go to a ‘thermonuclear war’ against the rival OS.

Here’s an excerpt from the author’s Steve Jobs bio:

“We thought about whether we should do a music client for Android. We put iTunes on Windows in order to sell more iPods. But I don’t see an advantage of putting our own music app on Android, except to make Android users happy. And I don’t want to make Android users happy.”

3 years have gone since Jobs passed, but the digital landscape is evolving. Nielsen SoundScan reveals a 13 percent year by year drop in digital music sales, while streaming music services have seen 51 percent increase in global revenue according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.

Spotify, Pandora and YouTube generated $1.4 billion in subscription, advertising and licensing revenues in the U.S. last year, up 39 percent from 2012, while downloads revenue were down 3.2 percent to $2.9 billion. 

Streaming services are gaining an upper hand; though they may not provide every new release, access to hundreds of songs and albums seem much for convenient then spending money on iTunes.

“They are feeling out some people at labels on thoughts about transitioning its customers from iTunes proper to a streaming service,” says one major label source. “So when you buy a song for $1.29, and you put it in your library, iTunes might send an e-mail pointing out that
for a total of, say, $8 a month you can access that song plus all the music in the iTunes store. It’s all in the ‘what if’ stage.

iTunes spokesman declined to make any comment.

Apple’s current steaming music service offered in iTunes Radio gives is add supported and doesn’t give full control to search albums and songs. It can be a standalone app in future according to several reports.

But don’t have high expectations for iTunes on Android, because talks are in early stages. But if it happens, it will show a significant change in the direction of the company.

Do you think it’s a good idea to release iTunes for Android?