Apple has officially launched its streaming music service in China. The company announced Wednesday that Apple Music will cost 10 RMB per month, or only $1.50 US, but not before users exhaust a three-month trial membership.
It was also announced that iTunes Movies and iBooks are both now available in China, which is already the company’s largest market for app downloads.
The low price for Apple Music in China is actually in line with other streaming services there, like Tencent’s QQ Music. Other music competitors in China include Netease and Baidu, and all are faced with trying to get listeners to pay for the stuff after years of downloading pirated music for free. How hard is it to crack the China market? In 2012, Google shuttered its (free) licensed music download service there due to lack of interest.
Via Billboard
