Apple Music Seeks New Listeners in China with Discounted Debut

Exactly three months ago today, Apple Music launched in the U.S., and now the streaming service has expanded into China.

It’s unsurprising that one of the world’s most popular brands is seeking the ears of one of the world’s most populous countries -- and Chinese listeners are getting a deal out of it too.

Following a free three-month trial, Apple Music will cost 10 yuan, or just over $1.50, per month. Compared to the U.S. price of $10 a month, that’s a steal.

Despite the discount, experts think Apple is fighting an uphill battle thanks to China’s well-known piracy market. Karissa Chua, a consumer electronics analyst at Euromonitor International, told CNBC: "Consumers are used to downloading illegally for free. They are very price-sensitive. They want it priced very low to drive them to take up online services.”

Apple already faces local competition from two existing streaming services, Baidu Music and Tencent QQ, although their biggest U.S. competitor, Spotify, is not yet available in China.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, explained the decision in a press release: “Customers in China love the App Store and have made it our largest market in the world for app downloads. One of the top requests has been more great content, and we’re thrilled to bring music, movies and books to China, curated by a local team of experts.”

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