Jimmy Iovine Talks About the ‘Hybrid’ Future of Apple Music in New Interview

In an interview with Billboard, Apple Music executive Jimmy Iovine talked about the future of Apple Music, shared thoughts about his team, and discussed the importance of merging various technologies together.

Iovine said that Apple is aiming to build a streaming music service that bridges technology with art and music creation. During the interview, he said that Apple is looking to build “the right hybrid”:

“And what we’re going to do, what we’re doing now that hasn’t been revealed yet, is we’re building the right hybrid. And we believe it’s the right hybrid, and the combination of these things together, we’ll build a music service that is technologically and culturally adept.”

Iovine’s team is essential to the music experience, especially given that most of the team came from Beats and Beats Music. The Apple Music exec also had high praises for Eddy Cue, saying:

“It took 10 years to develop this team. The people were chosen and understood how to work in both worlds. This is not something where you can just pluck somebody out of the air.”

During the interview, Iovine then talked about the future of Apple Music:

“We’re going to do whatever we believe is great. We are going to make a combination of tech and popular culture that is exciting and adept at both areas. So that’s what you’re starting to see. It’s going to have a voice. It’s not going to be just a utility — “Go here and get your music, good luck,” or, “We’re going to send you a list” — that’s great, but that’s not what this is. That’s not what this was, anyway.”

Apple Music has seen a steady growth since it launched in 2015. The company has offered exclusive content and music releases to lure in new subscribers.

The full interview with Jimmy Iovine can be read at Billboard.