The temperatures are warming up outside and the battle between streaming services is heating up as well. According to new report from the New York Post, Apple is targeting some of the world's biggest pop star-- Drake, David Guetta and Pharrell--to join Apple as the Cupertino tech giant looks to gain an edge with the increasingly competitive streaming market.
According to the report which cites "several music industry sources," Apple is in talks with Drake for a $19 million deal to sign the Toronto rapper on as a guest DJ for iTunes radio, which Zane Lowe has been reportedly tasked to run. Lowe left his post at BBC Radio One for an undisclosed position at Apple in March. They are also targeting Pharrell and David Guetta for roles that were not specified in the report.
The partnership between Pharrell and Apple would be logical as he was given the gold Apple Watch before the official release and touted it on The Voice last month.
Apple has been busily trying to secure deals with artists and labels ahead of the June 8 Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, where it is expected to announce its new, revamped music service. According to reports, it would combine the best features of Pandora, Spotify and YouTube into one service with a sharing section called Apple Connect.
Apple has been reportedly trying to negotiate a lower royalty payment schedule on a three-month free trial period that it hopes will introduce the $10-a-month streaming service. Labels, so far, have balked at the idea of giving the tech giant a discount.
Drake, Pharrell and David Guetta are not the only artists that Apple has been targeting for exclusive content or deals. According to a report in April, the Cupertino-based firm has been looking to sign on acts like Taylor Swift and Florence & The Machine to a roster of artists providing exclusive content.
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