Apple Music goes video

Apple Music goes video

With iTunes sales in decline and streaming services such as Spotify on the rise, Apple will definitely try to turn its music app into a one-stop shop for pop culture.

Jimmy Iovine, 64, explained:

A music service needs to be more than a bunch of songs and a few playlists. I’m trying to help Apple Music be an overall movement in popular culture, everything from unsigned bands to video. We have a lot of plans.

Apple Music’s adventure into video programming could bring increased investments in this field, routinely competing for top projects:

We have the freedom, because it’s Apple, to make one show, three shows, see what works, see what doesn’t work until it feels good.

In the coming months, Apple Music plans to start streaming "Carpool Karaoke", a spinoff of James Corden’s popular celebrity singalong segment. Apple Music could release as many as 10 original series by the end of the year, including will.i.am’s "Planet of the Apps" and several documentaries - probably about the legendary hip-hop labels Bad Boy Records and Cash Money Records while another is about music impresario Clive Davis.

For the moment, Iovine is mostly focused on music-related video, including a possible sequel to R. Kelly’s rap opera "Trapped in the Closet". Iovine has had talks with Warner Bros. Television and is developing another show loosely based on the life of his longtime business partner Dr. Dre. Eventually he plans to go beyond music and has discussed possible ideas with his friend Brian Grazer, producer of "Empire" and "Genius", and director J.J. Abrams.

When Apple introduces the next version of its smartphone software iOS later this year, the company plans to unveil a new edition of the Music app that better showcases video.