Drake And Pharrell Have Reportedly Signed Deals To Join Apple's New Streaming Service

The list of big names reportedly partnering with Apple’s revamped iTunes Radio continues to grow. Billboard reports that Drake and Pharrell have both signed on to Apple's forthcoming streaming service.

According to Billboard, the “Started from the Bottom” rapper was originally tapped to be a shareholder of Jay Z’s Tidal, but backed out right before the March launch date. The extent of Drake and Pharrell’s involvement remains unclear at this moment; however, the New York Post reports that these two artists, along with David Guetta, are in talks to come onboard as celebrity guest DJs. In February, it was announced that BBC Radio-1 host Zane Lowe would be joining iTunes Radio as a DJ.

Following the purchase last month of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine’s Beats By Dre, Apple is expected to announce its revamped streaming platform at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which takes place June 8-12. At this point, very little is known about how the product will work, but some reports claim that Apple intends to offer music for free for the first three months and then charge $10 a month.

The new venture marks Apple’s attempts at joining the streaming market and competing with Pandora and Spotify. Like Tidal, it appears as though Apple hopes celebrity deals will entice listeners to sign on. The New York Post also reports that it will also involve streaming video and user-created videos.