Michal Marek Apple has been converting dollar prices to euros at a 1-to-1 ratio for some time now, which makes the prices of goods and services not always friendly in Europe. According to data from the Music app in iOS 8.4 beta, it also looks like the Cupertino-based company will also apply a 1-to-1 conversion to the price of a subscription to Apple Music's new streaming service. However, in a highly competitive environment, Tim Cook et al. they could hit hard.
While competing services such as Spotify, Rdio, Deezer or Google Play Music adapt their price offer to specific markets, Apple Music may deploy one global price that is the same in euros and dollars. However, the following situation follows from this. Apple Music, which is just as expensive as any other streaming service for an American customer at a price of less than ten dollars, will be significantly more expensive for a European compared to the competition.
If the Czech price is really set at €9,99, as the current data in the beta version suggests, we will pay 273 crowns for an Apple Music subscription at the current exchange rate. At the same time, our competition offers similar music services at much lower prices. I personally use the paid version of Spotify and almost 167 crowns was deducted from my account for my subscription in mid-May. Another Swedish company, Rdio, offers a subscription for 165 crowns per month. The French Deezer is also trying to get its customers with the same price, and Google Play Music is even slightly cheaper. You will pay 149 crowns for the premium version of the music service from Google, which combines the ability to stream music with functionality similar to iTunes Match.
If I were an American customer, I would certainly at least try Apple Music. A novelty from Apple would offer me the advantage of full integration into the system for the same price as the competition. It would be enough for me to use a single app for local music uploaded via iTunes, a large catalog of music for streaming and access to the unique Beats 1 radio and the promising-looking Connect platform. In addition, the Music application, within which Apple Music will work, looks really good and, unlike, for example, Spotify, graphically fits perfectly into the iOS system.
As a Czech customer, I probably won't reach for Apple Music. If the price is really set like this, I would pay Apple almost 1 crowns more per year for a very similar service, and that is no longer an insignificant amount. In addition to the fact that Apple Music does not offer so many unique things compared to Spotify.
But let's not jump to conclusions. It is possible that Apple will adapt the price offer of the subscription to individual markets, as they showed data from the Indian or Russian beta versions of iOS 8.4 and, by the way, what competitor Spotify is doing, for example. On the website Spotify Pricing Index you can see how the same premium service costs different money in different countries. In the aforementioned Indian and Russian markets, Apple currently has set prices in the beta version of iOS 8.4 (from where the Czech prices mentioned above also come from) not exceeding 2 to 3 dollars. It is therefore evident that, even though it is only a beta version, Apple has definitely not introduced a uniform price in all countries, so the chance of local price adjustments remains.
Until June 30, when Apple Music officially launches, the Californian company can change its pricing policy at will. Apparently only $10 is certain in the United States. And it is equally certain that if Apple becomes more expensive in Europe, or in countries where the competition offers its services cheaper than the mentioned 10 dollars/euros, its competitiveness will be significantly lower despite the initial three months for free, there is no need to debate that .
There are still no European prices. If the dollar was equal to the euro, I think Apple would already officially write it. I think it still adjusts by country, or at least I hope so. And he can't afford to go against the competition with such a price. No one would pass that.
I believe that he will allow it... But I hope that he will come across. It would be necessary for the market to finally tap him with those prices through his fingers!!!
On the other hand, why should people in developed countries where they earn more pay more for the same global service? Does that sound right to you?
So if the price will really be $1=€1, I won't even try the free trial. But we are probably such a small market for them that they won't adjust the price to us.
Never mind when someone criticizes Apple for being expensive in general, that's a perfectly legitimate topic of discussion.
On the other hand, the criticism of 1EUR-1USD seems very off the mark to me. Currently, there is only a 13% difference between EUR and USD, but the moment we realize that the price in the EU includes a non-negligible VAT, we find out that in reality the European price is about the same compared to the USA and rather slightly lower...
Now try to argue with the price of Apple Music in Russia (about $3). Good luck.
PS: My point is that if Spotify, Google Music, Deezer can have a lower price, why can't Apple Music.
I don't understand why I should argue something that I didn't even hint at writing. On the contrary – in the very first sentence I state that I have nothing against the debate about the absolute amount of the price as such and I consider it reasonable...
It only amazes me when in a number of posts there is criticism for the 1EUR-1USD ratio, while from the exchange point of view it is (unfortunately) completely realistic these days :-(
So it's already confirmed that Apple Music will cost 9.99 euros in the Czech Republic.
It costs about 3 USD in the Russian Federation.
Does anyone know if it is possible to register a Russian Apple ID and then order Music at a lower price in the Czech Republic?
I have a Russian payment card issued on the territory of the Russian Federation, will that be enough?
I assume there probably won't be any other protection or is there?
Will the iPad work with two AppleIDs, for example if I just switch to a Czech account before making a purchase in the AppStore?
Well, it can stand :D. I pay for Google Play Music and have it for 130 CZK. I have an iPhone, but I'd have to be a total iSheep to go for it… We'll see how many Apple sheeple I get for this.
njn, so free Spotify will be enough for me :-)
So now I know that I will not leave Spotify, where I pay some 160 CZK per month, even if they offer almost nothing extra. I don't understand why it is not possible to set a uniform price for all markets, if that is how it works with Spotify etc. Perhaps it is not because we are in the EU.
I pay 9,99 pounds for Spotify in the UK, so apple music will probably be the obvious choice for me, not so much because of the price, but because of the integration into the system and design.
Do you know if songs can be downloaded and saved so that they can be played even without the Internet?
They will go. They have it written in the service details on the US site.
They probably won't export to mp3 or will they?
Certainly not, as with other similar services. The songs are stored directly in the application and you cannot get them out the official way.
On the other hand, I don't even need it. I don't expect to ever stop paying for these services. I was looking forward to their arrival in the summer :-)
In the beta version of iOS 9 in the Siri settings, support for the Czech language can be seen. Just for info.
Any further info? Or the screen wouldn't be? :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iCiFYax_dk at 5:21 am in speech selection for Siri.
I must be disappointed, this is not a Siri setting. What's on the video is Settings/General/Accessibility/Reading/Read selection/Voices - so it's only reading the selected text. Czech is also available in iOS 8.3.
It is also now more visible how Apple is moving iPods away, on ofiko websites (US, UK,...) they have moved the product page of iPods to the new "Music" section, where they have dedicated a relatively small "box" to them at the bottom of the page. iPod RIP
no no no I can't believe that nowadays, when everything can be downloaded for FREE, someone pays for music!!!!!!
oh my god!!!