Apple’s rapid ascent into music streaming

Apple is gaining subscribers to its music streaming service at the rate of 400,000 a week, as it continues to try and usurp market leader Spotify

Mar 10: Rihanna becomes most streamed female artist on Apple Music with 2 billion
streams

Apple Music benefits from being preinstalled on millions of iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and Apple TV (also available to download for PC and Android)

NUMBERS OF PAYING SUBSCRIBERS
million  70  60  50  40  30  20  10  0  
2008     09 10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18

Spotify
Oct 2008: Spotify launch
Dec 2017: 71m

Apple Music
Jun 2015: Apple Music launch
Mar 2018: 38m

Sources: MacRumours, Statista, Spotify, Apple
Picture: Apple Music