APPLE HAS SAID it’s not getting rid of iTunes after reports claimed it would be scrapping it in two years.
The report, from Digital Music News, said that Apple getting rid of the music service would be a case of “not if, but when”.
However, a spokesperson for the company told ReCode that the news was “not true”.
Since 2013, digital download sales on iTunes have dropped as streaming services grew in popularity. To prepare it for the switch, it acquired Beats for $3 billion, which also had a streaming service which it shut it down late last year.
Less than a year ago, it launched Apple Music which was designed to take on Spotify and other music streaming services. As well as curated playlists, it also came with a 24 hour radio station called Beats 1 and Connect, a social platform for artists to share behind-the-scenes photos or new tracks with fans.
Only recently, Spotify claimed that Apple’s arrival helped it grow faster and is close to having 100 million users. Of that number, more than 30 million pay for the service.
However, Spotify still has a problem generating a profit from music streaming and is looking for other ways to change that. It recently launched a new video service which would offer users exclusive content like behind-the-scenes videos of artists
It’s also looking at other areas that would help income like merchandising and concerts.
Apple Music has more than 13 million paid subscribers, but unlike Spotify, it doesn’t offer a free tier for users.
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