Don’t expect a free (ad-supported) version of Apple Music

Elean Segal (pictured), Apple’s global senior director of Music publishing, says not to expect Apple Music to be offered as a free streaming service with ads, according to Music:ally.

“I think more people would probably be using Apple Music. It wouldn’t change our service,” she said. “We don’t think that an ad-supported service can generate enough revenue to support a healthy overall ecosystem. And it would also really go against our fundamental values on privacy.”

Segal also said that Apple has “gone further than anyone else in trying to ensure money flow” regarding royalties to musicians and artists. 

“There have been numerous ways in which there were complications moving to a legitimate digital world. You had lots of players who just were not ready for it in terms of receiving money and dealing with the money,” she said. “We’ve worked really hard to push people to work with us on processes that enable money flows as best as possible from us on the composition side. For example from us to collecting societies to songwriters. We’ve done that because we don’t want to hold on to the money. We want the money to get to the people it’s supposed to get to.”