This is more about the curation technology behind the Beats streaming service than it is about the headphones. Not to mention immediate, inside access to some of the most brilliant minds in the music industry. Not just Iovine or Dre themselves, but the huge braintrust of radio program directors that provide the human element behind the Beats curation process.
Part of the deal is to bring Iovine inside Apple to report directly to Cook as a creative advisor. Iovine would also be bringing his address book with him, which represents some pretty significant personal relationships with some of the most infleuantial people in the entire industry.
Alot of market and media people are looking at this as Apple simply purchasing the Beats brand and are worried about Apple potentially pushing another brand besides its own (MacBook with Beats Audio, etc). Apple doesn't really buy brands though. It buys technology and resources, and I think that's exactly what its doing here as well.
|