Apple Music cheaper in UAE than elsewhere, but with less to boast

Apple entered the streaming music market this week with the introduction of a new service that brings unlimited listening of its iTunes music catalogue to UAE users for a monthly fee.

Record producer Jimmy Iovine unveiled Apple Music to the world during a conference in California last month. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

DUBAI // Apple has entered the streaming music market with the introduction of a subscription-based service, but with some drawbacks for local users.

The service, launched in 100 countries around the world this week, brings unlimited listening of its iTunes music catalogue for Dh19.99 a month, or Dh29.99 for a family subscription of up to six users.

It is almost half the price of what users in the US will be paying but, according to some tech commentators, subscribers will have a smaller catalogue of music to choose from, compared with those with accounts registered in other countries.

Dubai-based technology blogger Samer Chami, one of three commentators behind website absolutegeeks.com, said Apple Music enters the Middle Eastern market to compete with Lebanese-based Anghami, an early player in the industry having launched in 2012 and now serving 8 million subscribers.

“The (UAE) Apple iTunes library is a lot smaller than the actual US one and that is why I think you see the price difference in the subscription,” he said.

“In the US it’s $10 a month, whereas here it’s about Dh20.

“All in all, it’s a good experience, you can download songs and you can interact with artists,” he said.

“It lets you comment and leave reviews to artists and see what they’re doing.

“It is like a social-media network between artists and subscribers.”

Apple’s flagship radio station, Beats 1, is also not on offer to local users.

Listeners in the Middle East will be able to access the station, hosted by Zane Lowe, only with an iTunes account from another country and by using a virtual private network (VPN).

In addition to the streaming service, users will have access to Apple Music Radio – which offers radio stations in genres including pop, dance, electronic, country, and indie rock – but not Beats 1.

A subscription allows users to access the service on several devices, including an iPhone, iPad, and computer.

The service is being made available across the region, including Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt, and Oman.

Apple is offering prospective subscribers a free, three-month trial membership that includes unlimited listening from their library.

Robert McGovern, a Dubai-based web and app designer, said he had signed up for the trial offer.

The Ireland native said he was impressed with the service, particularly some of the available playlists that he said would help him to discover new music.

“At the price of a coffee for such a comprehensive service it’s a pretty fantastic deal,” he said.

“It hadn’t interested me much in the build-up but the price point is so low I will most definitely subscribe once the trial period is over.”

Mr McGovern said he noticed the absence of explicit versions of some songs – something that could aggravate some users.

According to The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, subscription-based digital music services generated US$1.6 billion in revenues around the world last year, part of a nearly US$7 billion digital music industry that is now matching the size of the physical market.

The European-based service Spotify is believed to be the largest player in the market, claiming to have 20 million paying users, however, it is not available locally unless accessed with a VPN.