Apple Music Archives - Circuits and Cable Knit

Google’s Schmidt Believes Computers Can Predict Cool

September 18, 2015

Last weekend, Google’s Eric Schmidt wrote an op-ed piece for the BBC. The article focuses on his feeling that we are right at the beginning of an amazing future that is only possible through AI (artificial intelligence). One of the most widely reported parts of the op-ed is him slamming Apple Music as being elitist because the music is human curated. Schmidt prefers a “smart system” learning from the community as a whole (read: AI) because it allows “everyone to discover the next big star through our own collective tastes and not through the individual preferences of a select few.” While on paper it makes some sense, music doesn’t work like that. Pandora is perfectly pleasant, but wouldn’t you rather be listening to a mix tape tape created just for you? That’s because a human touch is needed to play just the right songs at just the right time. Musicians have long criticized A&R guys for being are gatekeepers, but the truth is there is an art and a feel to artist development that cannot be replaced with science, numbers, and computers. Using computers to shape tastes and trends does not allow for abnormalities (something radically different) and emphasizes a culture of unified tastes.

A few days ago Schmidt sat down with WWD and extended his thoughts on AI to also cover fashion. It is his belief that computers will be used to allow designers to decide what is “cool” and what is not. According to Schmidt, “There’s a science around cool.” Modeling how people migrate towards “cool,” he asserts that AI will be able “to take a picture of a dress and tell a brand whether it was going to be cool or not.” Even more so than his statements on music, it is tough to agree with Schmidt.

Burberry Is First Brand To Launch Apple Music Channel

September 15, 2015

Last night, Burberry become the first brand to offer curated music on the Apple Music streaming service. In fact, Burberry is the first brand to officially align with any streaming service to offer curated playlists. The move makes a lot of sense, especially for a fashion brand – music and fashion have long gone hand in hand. By launching a channel of hand-picked music, Burberry is able to express the persona of their brand in a new way and to a new audience. Currently the 3 playlists offered by Burberry; they are focused on British music and are themed around runway shows, emerging artists, and favorite tunes of the company’s Chief Creative Officer / CEO.

Since Apple’s service launched almost 3 months ago, there has been a section of playlists curated by 3rd parties, but those were almost exclusively offered by various publications such as Wired and Rolling Stone. The move into content offered by brands makes a lot of sense and Burberry was a logical first choice, with Apple’s Angela Ahrendts having been hired away from the CEO role at the British fashion company. [We also wouldn’t be shocked to see a Hermès channel launch in the not too distant future.] It will be interesting to see if Burberry maintains the momentum of keeping their channel updated and if other brands will launch similar offerings. Given the ultra-competitive music streaming space, if we had to guess, other brands will shortly launch similar offerings which will be exclusive to different streaming services.

Apple Music

Google’s Schmidt Believes Computers Can Predict Cool

Burberry Is First Brand To Launch Apple Music Channel

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