Just a week after its release, the iOS 8.4 update has already been adopted by
37 percent of all active iOS users, an above-average rate for an incremental upgrade that may be driven in part by desire for access to the free trial of the new Apple Music service. While the numbers are on par with the growth seen in the first week of
iOS 8.0's release, point updates are generally incorporated more slowly.
The release of iOS 8.4 is being treated by users as a significant release, however, in large part due to the notable changes made to the Music app, one of the most popular applications on iOS devices. In addition to the paid Apple Music subscription service, the new version of Music also incorporates a free-to-use set of radio stations, including Beats 1, as well as a music-oriented social service called Connect.
Analysts
Mixpanel, which has posted a live chart of the adoption increases here, says that although iOS update adoption is routinely the envy of the industry with users quickly upgrading on any release, the accelerated adoption of v8.4 may be "dangerous for Spotify," given that "that's hundreds of millions of people who can get a free three-month trial with Apple Music." Like Spotify, its chief rival in the streaming world, Apple Music is available now in 100 countries and offers a huge song library -- though Apple may have an edge on Spotify in sheer numbers of songs available, claiming over 40 million versus the latter service's 30 million.
With recent expansions into video and podcasts, Spotify has attempted to ensure that its offering is more-or-less on par with Apple's, but Apple Music has also snagged a number of big exclusives -- including the first-ever streaming of Taylor Swift's
1989 album, the debut of Dr. Dre's first album
The Chronic to streaming, and celebrity shows on Beats 1 featuring performers such as Dre, Q-Tip, St. Vincent, Elton John, and more. Apple also has a human-curated set of stations and a lengthy page of personal recommendations tailored to the listener that have proven compelling with listeners.
Even more compelling, and potentially troubling for streaming services like Spotify, is the extended length of Apple's free trial and competitive pricing (particularly on "family" accounts, which offer up to six individual accounts for $15 per month). Given a limited number of hours to listen to streaming music in a day, many Spotify subscribers are expected to drop their paid level and try out Apple Music for the summer -- with a good possibility of staying on with it after the trial is over, particularly if the company can issue its Windows and Android versions of the service in the early-fall timeframe.
Another advantage of Apple Music is that it is part and parcel of the operating system on iOS and OS X, and Apple's fans will be even more likely than others to try -- and eventually buy -- the streaming service. Spotify is said to currently have 20 million paid users out of a total audience of 75 million, but by way of comparison Apple sold some 61 million iPhones in just the last financial quarter, and the hundreds of millions of iPhones sold since 2011's iPhone 4S area all capable of upgrading to iOS 8.4 and participating in the service, creating a much larger pool of potential users.
Top