Dreaming of Streaming

Said Timmy to Jimmy & Dre:
"Whether Apples keep Dr.s away,
It sweetens the tones
On iPods & -Phones
If revenue streams when they play."

Said the Dr. & Jimmy to Tim,
On the music they're making with him:
"Without some new Beats,
One's coolness depletes
And the revenue outlook is dim."

Said Timmy: "A streaming solution
May not be the next evolution,
But it's better I blew
3 billion on you
Than a shareholder cash distribution."

In a move that was so long anticipated, many investors forgot about Dre, Apple yesterday confirmed its intention to buy Beats Electronics LLC.  The $3 billion acquisition brings with it Beats co-founders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine.  Though best known for its high-end, sexy headphones, Beats is thought to be more valuable to the provider of iTunes, the leading online music store, for its nascent music streaming service.  As Heidi Moore reports in the Guardian, music downloads have peaked, and actually declined 2% to $3.9 billion last year, while subscription-based revenues rocketed up by 50% to $1.1 billion.

Mr. Iovine, a long-time record industry leader, "was one of the first industry executives to anticipate the download business's decline and advocate for subscription and streaming services as music's future," according to one analyst.  Mr. Iovine has also maintained a long and friendly relationship with Apple and iTunes, going back to the origins of online music sales under Steve Jobs.

Apple CEO Tim Cook must certainly hope that the combination with Beats will once again put the company in the position of knowing what the consumer wants before the consumers themselves do.