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Throughout the Powerbeats Fit event, we had the prospect to interview Oliver Schusser, Apple’s VP of Music, Beats, and Sports activities, on the Apple Music Studio in Culver Metropolis. Schusser, who was a part of the unique launch of Apple Music, mirrored on the first decade of the service, the core integration between Beats and Apple, and the corporate’s accent growth.
The VP says Apple Music is all about sharing songs, playlists, and albums, and that Apple Music Radio is a vital a part of that technique. “We’re attempting to make every little thing sociable, however our communication facet is extra of a fan expertise, a contemporary model of MTV, an artist platform.” When requested in regards to the firm’s opponents, which frequently seem like way more centered on social options, Schusser informed me: “I do not suppose our opponents have extra social options; they simply discuss extra about them.”
Up to now few years, Apple has made strides on the social facet of the music streaming service by introducing higher Apple Music Replay playlists, personalized ideas primarily based on what associates are taking part in, and extra.
Apple Music received a revamp in iOS 26, however macOS Tahoe lags behind
Earlier than speaking about Beats and the new Powerbeats Fit, I requested Schusser in regards to the latest Apple Music redesign in iOS 26. The brand new Liquid Glass UI introduced extra consistency throughout the corporate’s platforms. Nonetheless, the Apple Music app on macOS Tahoe stays surprisingly just like the previous iTunes expertise whereas nonetheless not providing all the options the iOS app provides. For instance, the auto-pin characteristic on the Mac would not have the identical shortcuts accessible on the iPhone, and the Mac nonetheless has unique options of its personal, similar to a correct play depend to your songs.
“It is attention-grabbing, the Mac really has options in Apple Music, like constructing folders in your library, that you could’t do on iPhone. We attempt to be best-in-class throughout Apple platforms, together with the Mac,” Schusser reveals. “Nonetheless, the Mac is, by way of utilization, a smaller platform than the others. That is why typically stuff you see on iPhone or iPad aren’t but on the Mac.”
Apple VP on Powerbeats lineup and new equipment
Apple acquired Beats in 2014. Regardless of the acquisition, it nonetheless typically seems like the 2 corporations are doing their very own factor. Schusser, VP of Music, Beats, and Sports activities, says Beats has at all times been aligned with Apple. “We’re 100% an Apple firm. Our engineers work carefully with Apple engineers. Beats focuses on the intersection of health and music, concentrating on a younger, various viewers, vibrant colours, and cultural advertising and marketing. This enhances Apple {hardware} like AirPods.”
Schusser additionally addresses what makes the Powerbeats lineup distinctive. “We seen Beats Match Professional customers are very lively, so we designed Powerbeats Match for exercises. We obsessed over the wingtip design to make the right headphone for a sporty life-style. It was closely debated internally, but it surely met our excessive requirements for Powerbeats.”
The manager additionally defined the origins of Beats’ expansion to cases and cables: “At Beats we’ve got our core merchandise, however we have at all times cherished doing collaborations with celebrities and types. And each time we did these, we have been additionally making customized cables. Over time we received actually good at making these lovely, high-quality cables in nice colours, and we thought, ‘Would not it’s good if we offered them?’ That received us interested by what extra we may do with the model. Being a part of Apple, we believed we may carry one thing magical. We’re primarily on the finish of 12 months one and transferring into 12 months two with heaps extra concepts. Most significantly, prospects find it irresistible.”