Overall, this article is actually pretty poor analysis. It tried to be analytical but doesn't actually provide compelling evidence or analysis. Instead, it just

Overall, this article is actually pretty poor analysis. It tried to be analytical but doesn't actually provide compelling evidence or analysis. Instead, it just presents a 4-step strategy without causal links between the steps. Worst of all, there's no justification for why Apple would want to "create an environment for independent artist sustainability" as their end goal. I completely disagree with Exhibit 1 (the growth chart) signaling a positive trajectory for Apple. Tellingly, it looks like the exact opposite of the Spotify chart: huge initial growth which is rapidly tapering growth. In contrast, Spotify's growth follows that of a traditional viral product: growing exponentially up and to the right. Moreover, I don't think Apple is positioning themselves to succeed. Their software quality is near an all-time low. [0] They're doubling down on human curation while Spotify has been doing amazingly with Discover Weekly. Just look at user reviews. On Android, Apple Music has 3.3 stars. [1] Spotify? 4.5 stars. IMO, Spotify is even able to deliver a superior product on Apple's own platform. Apple Music continues to be buggy, error-prone, and significantly less than delightful every time I try it. [0] This drove me to finally sell my shares after nearly a decade. [1] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apple.android.music&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apple.andr... [2] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spotify.music https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spotify.mu...