Apple Music could soon be open to businesses

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Apple Music could be opened up to businesses to allow streaming in public places.

The “Apple Music for Business” trademark was filed for late last month in the U.S. — and in other territories back in June. The filing states the trademark would be applied to a number of different areas, including commercial use.

In case you weren’t already aware, you shouldn’t stream Apple Music in public. Your subscription doesn’t cover commercial uses, so broadcasting songs for others could land you an expensive fine. But it seems Apple wants to give businesses this option.

’Apple Music for Business’ in preparation

Apple has filed for the “Apple Music for Business” trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Its filing was registered on November 29, but it mentions filings in other countries — including one in Jamaica made in early June.

The trademark suggests Apple plans to give businesses access to its music streaming service. With the right license, they would be authorized to play it in a public settings, such as a retail store, coffee shop, or even on the radio.

The filings lists a number of different use cases under International Class 038 and International Class 041, including “broadcast and transmission of streamed music, audio, video, and multimedia content by means of radio, television, internet, and satellite for business use.”

Apple also mentions uses in retail and commercial establishments, public areas, and for audio and video production.

A blessing for businesses

Apple Music could be one of the first music streaming services to offer this feature, giving it a big advantage over rivals like Spotify and Tidal.

As things stand, businesses typically have to acquire licensing from performing right organizations if they want to play music in a public setting. Signing up for Apple Music instead could prove to be much easier, though it’s not clear if it will be cheaper.

Public licenses can cost anything from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars per year, depending on how they’re used and the size of the business acquiring them. They’re not cheap, but they are more affordable than copyright infringement fines.

There’s no guarantee Apple will use this trademark, of course. It certainly seems as though it has plans to give Apple Music a wider reach, but until an announcement is made, nothing is concrete.

Via: AppleInsider

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