Apple Music To Start Business Version For Broadcast & Transmission Of Music

Apple music are creating a new Business product. Apple Music Business is meant for music that is streamed at bars, restaurants  and retail shops enhancing public performance licenses and royalties.

The company filed for 'Apple Music for Business’ with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on November 29. The information provided in the trademark filing for class 38 section says that ‘Apple Music for Business’ will be used for

“broadcast and transmission of streamed music, audio, video, and multimedia content by means of radio, television, internet, and satellite for business use.”

Thee information provided for class 41 states that it’s for:

“Production of programmed music and video displays for subscribers; audio and video recording and production services for others; music service, namely providing specially programmed background music for retail establishments, public areas, and commercial establishments. Providing radio, internet, and satellite music programming by means of telecommunications networks, computer networks, the Internet, satellite, radio, and wireless communications networks; musical, radio, television and video entertainment services, namely, custom arrangement and editing of music, audio and video programs; Custom music programming services.”

What does this mean for the Music Industry?

While tracking public performance rights for music it is almost impossible to track and make sure every retail outlet in the world has the right license to play music. It is also true that almost every business outlet in the world uses music at their outlets. Apple Music Business will make the process easier for these businesses to get the rights for music and will make it much easier for artists and songwriters to get a much fairer pay. Back in October, a study carried out by Nielsen Music and Soundtrack Your Brand (backed by Spotify) found that rights-holders around the world may be losing out on at least $2.65 billion each year because small businesses are playing background music through personal streaming accounts. At the time, Soundtrack Your Brand Co-founder and Chairman Andreas Liffgarden said that

“We need a new generation of B2B streaming services, attractive to business owners, that make sure music makers get fair compensation”.

The drawback

Not a lot of bars, restaurants and retail outlets pay for the music they stream at their stores anyway. What is to say that they will pay for set service which is bound to be more expensive than the normal subscription model? Looks like we will know once Apple Music Business is in the market.