Apple Music To Get Major Overhaul Next Month, Beats To Add Stations

As its first anniversary approaches, Apple Music is getting a major overhaul, according to reports surfacing this morning. The changes come at a time when CEO Tim Cook is hoping that ongoing subscription revenue from services like Apple Music can help reverse Apple's flattening revenue forecasts.

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Apple Music is getting a complete overhaul including major improvements to its interface designed to make it more intuitive to use, sources tell Bloomberg. Apple also reportedly plans to more closely integrate its streaming and iTunes download store, and add channels to its online radio service, Beats 1.

The changes will be announced at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, and be followed by a major marketing campaign, according to sources.

“When it comes to software, Apple performs with less elegance than it does when it comes to hardware,” Colin Gillis, a New York-based BGC Partners analyst told Bloomberg. “Apple Music is underwhelming. They have subscribers because of their platform. If you have that kind of subscriber base, you should have millions of subscribers.”

With 13 million paying subscribers after 10 months, Apple Music, which was built on top of the Beats Music platform that Apple aqcuired 2 years ago, is a real streaming contender. But Apple execs expected more and blame a design and user experience that is not up to Apple's high standards.

The New Team

The makeover is being overseen by content chief head Robert Kondrk and Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, with assists from Design exec Jony Ive, Jimmy Iovine and SVP Eddy Cue.