Zane Lowe talks the inspiration behind Apple Music's Beats 1
Zane Lowe, the man Apple poached from the BBC to head-up Apple Music’s Beats 1 Internet radio station, has discussed the inspiration behind the network in a recent interview. He also gave readers an insight into his reasons for leaving BBC’s Radio 1 for Apple’s Beats 1, a move that upset many of Lowe’s longtime fans.
An easy decision
In the interview with Vice’s Noisey (via AppleInsider), Lowe noted that leaving the BBC for Apple wasn’t an easy decision. Though, he adds, the opportunity to work with Cupertino on a new kind of radio medium was what pulled him away from London and to sunny Los Angeles.
In particular, Lowe added that the “always with you” nature of iOS meant that he felt it a perfect device for radio streaming. “When you actually put it on a device, it’s with you all the time. You can reach people anywhere, anytime as long as you give them a reason to tune in. So I just wanted to know what that felt like,” he explained. And while radio apps are indeed available for Apple’s iOS, since Beats 1 is built right into the Music application, Lowe’s station is more accessible on the platform than any other.
Lowe only broadcasts for Beats 1 from Los Angeles part of the day; there’s also coverage from Ebro Darden in New York, and Julie Adenuga in London. Between the three (alongside a couple of guest DJs), all 24 hours are covered each day.
Lowe continued, explaining that his “emotional connection” with the music he promotes remains of the upmost importance.
It enhances something in your life; it enhances an experience for you. Sadness or happiness or freedom or oppression, or something that you're going through, it's able to add context to that environment that is more than a clinical context, it is an emotional resonance. It makes you feel that something is more than you did before.
- Zane LoweThe original article is definitely worth considering. Though if you’d rather watch Noisey’s interview with Lowe, the (slightly NSFW) video is embedded below for your viewing pleasure.
On a personal note, I’m enjoying Apple Music more than ever, but not because of Beats 1. Instead, after picking up a pair of Sonos speakers, I’ve been streaming my favorite music (as well as a couple of Apple Music’s genre stations) almost every day.
