Apple’s sudden intrusion into the arena of original video programming had its inception before Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour Live — with Drake’s “Hotline Bling” music video. Going by a report from Recode, Apple didn’t just make payment to Mr Drake to release the video via its streaming music service. It basically made available finances to procure the James Turrell-inspired dance session, which later on got its release as an exclusive on Apple Music in October 2015 prior to paving its way to YouTube as well as other platforms about some seven days later. “Hotline Bling” didn’t waste much time in exploding the internet, racing steadily into assuming the position of a gigantic meme factory, even up to finding participation in the US 2016 presidential race.
The news comes quickly into the front scene following closely a report that Apple is making solid investments into original video production. Just last Friday here, news surfacing indicated that Apple has its hands working on the production of a six 30-minute episodes of Vital Signs, a supposedly fresh-out-the-block TV show centered around Beats co-founder and Apple employee Dr. Dre. According to plans put in place, company will make distributions of the show via Apple Music in like fashion to how it worked on Swift’s 1989 concert movie and Drake’s “Hotline Bling” video.
Recode’s Peter Kafka voices his opinion the move is critically aimed at gathering public interest as regards Apple’s streaming service: “Apple has already been financing video content it uses to market Apple Music — ‘to extend Apple Music,’ in the words of an insider. And it’s doing that with the Dre show. Full stop.” Drake at first signed a deal with Apple last year to procure distribution his cooking album, now termed as Views from the 6 and consequently steaming for release by April 16th, via the platform of Apple Music.
The rapper didn’t make an official appearance at the company’s WWDC conference in June to publicly announce the development, and the financing of music videos like “Hotline Bling” is a package well wrapped in the deal.