Apple Reportedly In Talks To Buy Tidal (While Also Rejecting Spotify’s Latest App Update)

The streaming wars rage on.

Anyone who wants to enjoy Apple’s Beats 1 radio, Spotify’s algorithmically-driven recommendations engine Discover Weekly and Kanye West’s bonkers “Famous” video has had to balance individual subscriptions to Apple Music, Spotify and Tidal. But might we be heading towards a consolidated future?

Anonymous sources have told the Wall Street Journal that Apple has begun talks with Tidal, perhaps in an effort to buy the beleaguered streaming service.

What’s in it for Apple? Well, Tidal, which is partly owned by Jay Z and recently had exclusive rights to Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo and Beyoncé’s Lemonade, has some tantalising ties to the world’s biggest artists. (Though, Apple can similarly boast tight relationships with Taylor Swift and Drake.)

The terms of the potential Apple/ Tidal deal are not known, and it’s very possible talks could fall apart and never the twain shall meet, but considering all the struggles Tidal has faced of late, Jay and his famous co-owners might be keen for an early (and lucrative) exit from the streaming wars.

Then again, given that Tidal was established to return as much profit as possible to it contributing artists, can Tidal signees expect the same returns under Apple Music?

Which brings us to Spotify, still the market leader and Apple Music’s biggest rival. According to Recode, Apple recently rejected the newest update to the Spotify app because it doesn’t use Apple’s billing system to “acquire new customers and sell subscriptions”.

Spotify’s general counsel, Horacio Gutierrez, retaliated by sending a letter to Apple’s top lawyer this week, suggesting that the move “continues a troubling pattern of behaviour by Apple to exclude and diminish the competiveness of Spotify on iOS and as a rival to Apple Music.”

“We cannot stand by as Apple uses the App Store approval process as a weapon to harm competitors.”

Even U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren is seemingly on Spotify’s side, saying yesterday, “Apple has long used its control of iOS to squash competition in music”.

Can’t we all just get along?

Photo: Tidal.