Zane Lowe says Apple is working on new Beats stations

By

Zane Lowe
Beats 2, 3, 4, and 5 may be in the works.
Photo: Apple

Beats 1 DJ Zane Lowe says that Apple is “working on” new Beats radio stations, although won’t introduce them until, “they feel it’s right.”

While Lowe doesn’t provide more details, it’s one of the few things he addresses directly in an interview during which he sidesteps plenty of other questions — suggesting it’s something that Apple’s happy to be talked about to some extent.

“All those discussions are being had right now,” Lowe said. “Until we have something … Apple will go and work on things, and they present it when they feel it’s right. That’s the answer. We’re working on it.”

This isn’t the first time that additional Beats stations have been discussed, hopefully offering a range of other music genres to augment the heavily hip hop-focused Beats 1. A couple of years ago, a report noted that Apple has licenses for up to five additional stations like Beats 1, while it’s also registered websites for Beats 2, 3, 4, and 5.

The front window of Apple Music

Aside from the additional Beats stations comment, Zane Lowe’s interview doesn’t give too much away. Having previously misspoken by suggesting that Apple doesn’t need Beats 1 during an interview, he’s careful not to make any major faux pas.

With that said, he does make one interesting comment about Apple’s changing strategy for Apple Music, evolving away from it having a “radio model” as its basis — presumably in favor of opening up new services like exclusive video content.

“Imagine Apple Music as a store,” he says. “We’re (read: Beats 1) the front window. We’re the thing you see by the counter. We try and put music into a frame that makes you more excited about it, more than just its existence. You could put the record in a playlist, put it in a library, just let it exist and hopefully we find it. But culture is what the artist wants it to be. They want to create layers of thought, excitement and vision, and tell you how the record was made. They want to share that experience with you. That’s what Beats 1 really is designed to do. It was to keep pace with the culture, so that it goes perfectly with the commodity.”

You can read Lowe’s whole interview here.

Do you still listen to Beats 1? What would you like to see from additional Beats radio stations? Leave your comments below.

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