Apple Music gains exclusives by funding music clips

Image: Screen shot from Eminem’s Apple-funded Phenomenal music video

As the battle between streaming services for subscribers centres more around content exclusives, Apple Music has found one way to get artist favours.

It is funding the making of videos and multi-media documentaries so they get exclusivity on them, Rolling Stone reported.

Led by the technological giant’s Director of Original Music Content Larry Jackson, Apple financed Eminem’s Phenomenal music video, Taylor Swift’s The 1989 World Tour concert film, Drake’s Hotline Bling and two cuts of The Weeknd’s Can’t Feel My Face. Apple CEO Tim Cook even got involved in the making of M.I.A.’s Borders video.

Apple’s approach is to make Apple Music a fixture of pop culture, the same way that MTV ruled in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Jackson said, in those days, “You always felt that Michael Jackson or Britney Spears lived there. How do you emotionally conjure up that feeling for people?" It was Jackson, back in his days at a record company, who by spotlight Lana Del Ray as a child of the internet, got her album to #1 despite it getting no radio support.

The approach is working out. Apple got two weeks exclusivity to Drake’s Views on its April release. Eminem allowed Apple Music to premiere a video last year. Taylor Swift appeared on a recent Apple Music ad working out to Drake and Future’s Jumpman.

Apple’s support is working well for artists as well. Jumpman sales rose 43%. Future’s EVOL, an exclusive for Apple Music and iTunes, went to #1 in the US. Another Apple-only. Chance The Rapper’s Colouring Book in April became the first streaming exclusive to debut in the top ten of the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Apple Music has struck deals with Keith Richards, Selena Gomez, Black Eyed Peas and, announced last night, new US rapper Dreezy’s debut album No Hard Feelings. It is also screening original video content like Dr. Dre’s Vital Signs TV show and a six-episode documentary series co-produced with Vice.

The Rolling Stone piece also spoke to the likes of Monte Lipman, head of Republic Records, which is home to the Weeknd and Ariana Grande. “Apple is sexy,” Lipman revealed. “They are prepared to do things no one has done before. Lately they’ve been very clever in coming to us with what we consider groundbreaking opportunities.”