[ad_1]
The move, part of the largest expansion of Apple services in a decade, takes Apple Music to a total of 167 markets, including 25 new African countries.
Costs will range from $ 3 to $ 11 (R56 to R210) monthly, with a free six-month trial period in new countries.
Apple’s global presence
The expansion increases the global presence of Apple Music, which has some 60 million subscribers, in its duel against the market leader Spotify, which has more than 120 million paid users but is available in fewer markets around the world.
At the same time, Apple announced an expansion to 20 new markets for its other services, including its App Store, the Apple Arcade gaming service, Apple Podcasts and iCloud.
With the launch, Apple services will be available in 175 countries around the world. Until now, Apple customers in parts of the world had access to some free apps and services for their devices without the opportunity for paid subscriptions.
Music and other services will be available with interfaces in at least 40 languages supported by Apple.
More services, less iPhones
The California tech giant has been diverting attention from the iPhone, the company’s longtime revenue and profit leader, to what is considered a more stable financial stream in digital content and services, including music, digital payments and apps. .
Amid a softer smartphone market, Apple’s iPhone accounts for only about half of its revenue, while new services and accessories show gains.
“We are delighted to offer many of Apple’s most beloved services to users in more countries than ever before,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of music and international content.
“We hope that our customers can discover their new favorite apps, games, music, and podcasts as we continue to celebrate the world’s best creators, artists, and developers.”
Apple’s iCloud and other services were being expanded to eight additional African countries, two in the Asia-Pacific region, five in Europe, two in the Middle East, and three in Oceania.
Global music streaming market
Apple has been working on the expansion for some time, but the move comes as consumers around the world face locks and spend more time on their devices.
Apple Music owns about 19% of the global music streaming market, compared to 35% for Spotify and 15% for Amazon, according to Counterpoint Research.
The music streaming service has over 60 million songs and offers selected playlists along with a Beats 1 radio station.
Basic iPhone SE
Apple Podcasts has over a million shows in more than 100 languages. Apple’s iCloud service is free, but it allows users to upgrade for additional storage.
The Arcade games service launched last year includes original ad-free titles designed for Apple devices.
Last week, Apple introduced a new entry-level iPhone, aiming to appeal to consumers facing a suddenly bleak economic environment.
The updated iPhone SE will start at $ 399 (R7 500), or less than half the price of its flagship devices.
While the iPhone had been in operation for months, analysts said the launch seemed to be at the right time amid a pandemic-induced economic slump that has affected the smartphone market and affected consumer sentiment.
Julie Jammot © Agence France-Presse
[ad_2]
