Beats Music finally announce launch date

After an extensive build up, the music streaming service spearheaded by Interscope/Geffen Chairman Jimmy Iovine, rap mogul Dr. Dre and Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails, How To Destroy Angels) has been given a launch date in the US: January 21.

Beats Music will offer a month’s free trial upon launch before charging US$9.99 for a monthly subscription. The service will be available on iOS, Android, Windows phones and via web browsers.

US multinational telecommunications corporation and exclusive carrier partner AT&T have said they will offer a subscription package that allows up to five family members unlimited streaming and song downloading for $15 a month. The family service will come with a 90-day free trial.

With its competitors all contending for the top pick in a growing market, Beats Music – created in part from technology acquired from Mog in 2012 – aims to stand out with a ‘curator-led’ experience, which features playlists created by Reznor, Rolling Stone and Pitchfork alumni, and former Rhino Records A&R Mason Williams, and its ‘Just For You’ feature, which offers an intuitive selection of tracks and albums based on the user’s preferences.

These services may not be unique, Sirius XM’s streaming service in the US has more than 26 million subscribers and uses the curated approach with radio personalities, but Beats Music already have a successful launch pad, with Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine’s instantly recognisable Beats Electronics ensuring the brand name is already entrenched in the marketplace.

An Australian launch date is still to be announced.