DJ Zane Lowe
Apple is assembling the troops to lead an onslaught into the streaming music business and a core new hire is that of BBC DJ Zane Lowe.
Apple is preparing to spread itself in a lot of new directions, not only in terms of music with its acquisition of Beats Electronics last year for US$3.2bn, but the company is also planning to enter the car business and has hired senior former executives from Ford and Mercedes-Benz.
The BBC confirmed that Lowe, who joined the broadcaster in 2003, will be moving to the US to work at Apple.
Annie Mac will be taking over his current weekday evening show.
Apple has described Lowe as one of the foremost music tastemakers and curators in the world and confirmed he will be joining the tech giant’s music team.
However, while it is not quite clear what Lowe’s position will be at Apple, the best indication could be that Apple plans to merge its expertise in interface design with music discovery and curation functionality to beat existing streaming players such as Spotify and Pandora.
As well as being a DJ, Lowe was music director of international festival brand Ibiza Rocks and was an influential figure who paved the way for new artists that include Adele, The Arctic Monkeys, and Ed Sheeran.
Lowe also interviewed rappers Eminem and Kanye West and opened for Muse, The Prodigy and the Foo Fighters with his DJ set.
His show has also been home to the popular Masterpieces feature, which sees him playing classic albums in full, and leading an in-depth discussion on their merits.
