Apple launches Apple Music app

Apple has teamed up with rap superstars Drake and Pharrell to launch a music streaming service designed to compete with Spotify at its annual developers conference in San Francisco, The Telegraph reported.


Apple Music is the Californian company’s first foray into music streaming, having shaped the digital downloads market with the launch of the iTunes store in 2003, and will be available for $9.99 a month with an initial three-month free trial.


“Music is such an important part of our lives, and our culture,” said Apple chief executive Tim Cook. “Apple Music will change the way you experience music forever.”


The star-studded service has been created in collaboration with Beats, whom Apple purchased in May last year for $3bn (£1.8bn), and will be available for iOS users from later this month.


Music mogul Jimmy Iovine, who co-founded Beats with rapper Dr Dre, called it a revolutionary music service manned by experts which will benefit the up-and-coming artists in their bedroom as much as the established acts.