Since its June 30, 2015 launch, Apple Music has become a go-to platform for artists and fans. According to a report from the Financial Times, Apple Music just hit 10 million subscribers—a feat that took Spotify six years to accomplish.
Spotify still holds the top spot with 20 million total users, but many music industry analysts believe Spotify might reveal an updated user total in an effort to separate itself from the budding streaming service.
“It’s good news that Apple is making streaming work but it is also going to accelerate the decline of downloads,” said Mark Mulligan, music industry analyst with Midia Research
The six month date period in which Apple Music earned 10 million subscribers is important, because it stifles conversations of the streaming service’s inflated numbers due to its three month trial period. Dr. Dre’s Compton album, which was originally an Apple Music exclusive, sold 295,000 equivalent album units in its first week, while Drake and Future’s What A Time To Be Alive moved an impressive 375,000 units after premiering on Beats 1 Radio.
As competition between Apple Music, Spotify and TIDAL heats up it’ll be interesting to see which streaming service will shell out the most cash. Apple Music’s initial wave of royalty checks were considerably higher than Spotify. Stay tuned as the battle for your $10 a month continues.
