Eminem, Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams Participate In Apple Music Launch

Spotify now has some competition, with the launch Wednesday of Apple’s music streaming service, reported E! News, which featured interviews with stars such as Justin Timberlake, Eminem and Pharrell Williams.

Aside from online music streaming, Apple Music also offers “Beats 1,” Apple’s official 24/7 global radio station. With the launch of Apple Music, the company has now expanded its strategies towards the music industry. Users can opt to use iTunes for directly buying and downloading songs, or use the Apple Music for streaming songs through their paid subscriptions.

A notable feature of Apple Music is "Beats 1" which will be hosted by DJ Zane Lowe. The 41-year-old DJ left BBC1 in March to pursue his job with Apple’s new global radio. Aside from playing music and entertaining listeners, Lowe will be interviewing stars during the show, which started with Eminem. Pharrell Williams, Justin Timberlake and Dr. Dre are also scheduled to interview on “Beats 1”.

The live “Beats 1” is what sets Apple Music apart from other music streaming services. USA Today notes that the radio station is part of Apple's strategy and quite promising on first listen. It broadcasts globally around the clock, and will be available for free to users. Other radio stations included are ESPN Radio and NPR, plus some holdovers from iTunes Radio.

Apple and music fans have been looking forward to Apple Music. During the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference held earlier this month, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue mentioned how revolutionary Apple Music will be, saying, “We love music, and the new Apple Music service puts an incredible experience at every fan’s fingertips. All the ways people love enjoying music come together in one app — a revolutionary streaming service, live worldwide radio and an exciting way for fans to connect with artists,” reported CBS News.

Apple Music will be available on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and PC. However, it will be come to Apple TV and Android phones this fall. The new service requires users to upgrade their devices to iOS 8.4 for successful access.