Apple executive and Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine is apparently in talks with artists about doing exclusive releases for Beats Music, the New York Post reports. Executives responsible for the music subscription service are said to be looking to replicate the success that artists such as Beyoncé have had with exclusive iTunes releases by bringing such exclusivity to the streaming side.
Beats will apparently be able to leverage the connections it already has with artists such as Nicki Minaj, Will.i.am, Pharrell, Kanye West and Gwen Stefani. Record labels are reportedly less enthusiastic about the idea of artists making their own side deals with music streaming services.
Beats Music launched last year and has an estimated subscriber base of around 300,000 users. Since acquiring the service earlier this year, Apple has reportedly been working to integrate Beats Music more tightly into its iOS and iTunes ecosystem, so exclusive artist deals may also be intended to pave the way for a rebranding and relaunch of the Beats Music service under a more Apple-centric branding.
