In a surprising move, Apple Music senior director Ian Rogers has left Apple — just two months after the new streaming service was launched.
Rogers was key in shaping Apple’s online radio strategy, leading to the launch of Beats 1. Prior to joining Apple in August 2014, he worked as CEO at Beats Music.
It’s not known exactly why Rogers left Apple, or whose decision it was, but it is certainly unexpected. In a blog post published on his personal website at the time of the Apple Music launch, Rogers described how it was “hard not to feel like the last 20+ years was leading to this day.”
Rogers will be going to work for a company based in Europe in an “unrelated industry,” although his LinkedIn profile has yet to show his departure from Apple.
Reports about the success of Apple Music have so far been mixed. The service has received a drubbing from some influential tech reporters, while one report claimed that close to half of listeners have already stopped tuning in — despite Apple Music still being in its free trial period.
Apple, however, refuted those claims, saying, “79 percent of users who have signed up for Apple Music are still using the service.”
Source: Financial Times
Via: VentureBeat