Apple buys Beats

[Lebowski]

Seems like this is true as a video of Dre celebrating becoming hip hops first billionaire is doing the rounds. At first i wondered what they where thinking of as apple already have a pretty bad rep for having naff headphones, so sticking some over priced bass heavy plastic headphones in with there phones is not gonna be a good move.

Reading more into it seems that they may be more interested in the music streaming service side of beats. Beats music may become the new hipsters music service of choice if incorporated into apple products, and marketed right, Spotify holds the lions share of streaming users and is currently worth 4 billion,

packing beats into laptops and phones hasn't really worked in the past look at the failed HTC venture or the HP laptop with beats audio mess.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/if-apple-buys-beats-electronics-for-32bn-will-dr-dre-become-hip-hops-first-billionaire-9343973.html

[speedlolita]

I don't know why Apple would buy into a company that produces inferior products, other than the branding side of things - which is what matters when it comes to sale volume.

Oh well, maybe we'll see higher end products shipped with ear equipment that ridiculously overemphasises the low range.

[Brad]

Maybe they'll bring the quality of Beats to a level commensurate with their price?

[CMcK]

I can't see how Beats fits in with Apple at all. Even if Apple just wants the streaming rights I'm sure those rights likely won't be transferable.
Even music industry executives can't be that dumb.

[Pulstar]

It's all a bubble.

[VR46]

CMck, don't know, didn't you ever read about someone at MS thinking they owned Donkey Kong rights as they bought Rare?

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/06/microsoft_execs_thought_they_owned_donkey_kong_after_acquiring_rare

Back to Beats, don't know why Apple didn't do their own headphones and streaming services and save a couple of billion.

[Brad]

Or climb into bed with a more relevant rapper (don't get me wrong, Dre is a damn legend) and again save billions.

['Press Start']

Streaming rights have been acquired. Also they are not really buying beats for the headphones per say, they are buying the market share.

The cost of building that market share against Beats would surely cost more in the long run. I say it is a smart move as Apple have long been involved as the music source. If they can own Beats market share in headphones whilst wrapping their brand around it in a $8 billion market then its money well spent.

[fuse]

The thought of headphones with the bass of Beats and the leakage of Apple's pack-in jobs sends shivers down my spine. Probably would do it in a non-figurative sense also.

[VR46]

Intersting article re Beats Music only have 111,000 subscribers

http://www.macrumors.com/2014/05/13/beats-music-subscribers/

[VR46]

Can't believe Beats employs 700 people, well won't do in a few months once Apple start culling

http://www.macrumors.com/2014/07/31/apple-cuts-200-beats-jobs/

Excellent juvenile headline from one of the posters on that page

damn so this apple beats thing is sticking. The school boy in me still hopes for the headline. Apple Beats off Over Dre

[fishbowlhead]

Should of bought Bose instead.