'Apple One' subscription bundle spotted in Apple Music for Android beta app

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Last month, we reported on Apple's rumoured plans to bundle its services into a single subscription. Now, we're getting more clues that confirm this rumour. 9to5Google discovers code in the beta version (version 3.4.0) of the Apple Music app on Android that mentions the name Apple One alongside an internal codename "aristotle," which confirms that Apple Music will be part of the bundle. And that the company has decided to stick with the Apple One name. 

Apple clarifies that the Apple One subscription and existing Apple Music subscriptions will not overlap to avoid paying double for the same service. In the code, you can see that you can only manage and renew an Apple One subscription using an iOS, macOS, or tvOS device. Other than that, there aren't any more details spotted within Apple Music. With its appearance inside an Apple app, we can assume we might hear more about these bundles during next week's "Time Flies" event.

Apple renames Beats 1 to Apple Music 1, introduces two new radio stations

In line with keeping its brands aligned, Apple renames its Beats 1 radio station into Apple Music 1. At the same time, the company introduces two new radio stations: Apple Music Hits and Apple Music Country. The former play top hits and favourites from the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, while the latter highlights country music.

"For the past five years, if ever there was a meaningful moment in music culture, Beats 1 was there bringing human curation to the forefront and drawing in listeners with exclusive shows from some of the most innovative, respected, and beloved people in music," Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music, Beats, and International Content, said in a statement. "Now, Apple Music radio provides an unparalleled global platform for artists across all genres to talk about, create, and share music with their fans, and this is just the beginning. We will continue to invest in live radio and create opportunities for listeners around the world to connect with the music they love." 

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Taylor Swift's 'Folklore' smashes first day streaming records

Taylor Swift's Folklore is raking in its streams, breaking several first-day streaming records since its release on July 24. Folklore now sets the global record for first-day album streams on Spotify by a female artist with 80.6 million streams. On Apple Music, it's the most-streamed album in 24 hours with 35.47 streams. And it has set indie/alternative streaming records in the US and worldwide on Amazon Music, though we don't get official figures. Swift's representatives have confirmed that the album sold over 1.3 million copies worldwide within the first 24 hours of its release.

The pop star announced the surprise album on social on Thursday, July 23, which she was inspired to make and release since the coronavirus pandemic hit and affected her plans to tour her previous album, Lover. You can check out the lead single of the record in the music video above.

Source: NME

Apple Music, Spotify supports #BlackLivesMatter in an unprecedented fashion

Apple Music is using its platform to stand with #TheShowMustBePaused and #BlackLivesMatter social equality movements in response to widespread unrest, violent protests, and riots that have affected various American cities. The past few days have seen a swell of civic unrest after the death of George Floyd, a black man that died while being restrained by police officers in Minneapolis. Visiting Apple Music and going to any of its stations or the Browse section leads to the above page and a Listen Together call to action which plays only black music, much of which is timely in this time of protest. 

Update on Wednesday, June 3, 2020 at 8:55AM by Nicole Batac

Spotify, for its part, placed black filter over the covers of some of its prominent playlists and podcasts, while adding eight minutes and 46 seconds of silence to these participating playlists and podcasts—which is the length of time officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck.