Apple to fold Beats Music into iTunes next year

By Ryan Waniata 

 

Following swirling rumors of a transition and/or shutdown of Apple’s newly acquired streaming service, Beats Music, the Wall Street Journal is reporting today that, yes, Beats Music as we know it will go away next year, folding into Apple’s floundering iTunes music platform. The news comes from an anonymous source familiar with the matter, according to the Journal.

The absorption of Beats Music into iTunes wouldn’t be a huge surprise, especially considering that Apple’s iconic service has again taken a hit this year, with sales down an approximate 13-14 percent since the beginning of 2014. The trend follows the rest of the music industry, as digital sales saw its first downward turn in 2013 since the iTunes era. The download drop has largely been blamed on the rise of streaming services, like Spotify, Pandora, and a host of others, which have seen an increased market share.