Beats to Monster: We're just not that into you
The Beats and Monster brands are so synonymous that it's hard to believe the relationship is over. After a five-year lovefest that spawned dozens of headphones including the eponymous Beats by Dre and Lady Gaga's own Heartbeats, Beats is cutting ties and refusing to renew the partnership contract.
LAS VEGAS--The Beats and Monster brands are so synonymous that it's hard to believe the relationship is over. After a five-year lovefest that spawned dozens of headphones including the eponymous Beats by Dr. Dre and Lady Gaga's own Heartbeats, Beats is cutting ties and refusing to renew the partnership contract.
According to a report from Businessweek, two anonymous sources confirmed that Noel Lee's Monster Brand and Jimmy Iovine's Beats label severed ties after an irreconcilable dispute over who should get more credit for last year's 53 percent headphone marketshare.
Dre and Iovine remain adamant about their aim to educate young listeners on the value of accurate sound reproduction seemingly lost in this era of awful-sounding Apple ibuds, and they even brought names like Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and Miles Davis into the fold to help drive sales with cameos in music videos and live DJ sets.
Most publicly announced celebrity divorces are followed by news of fresh flames, and both Monster and Beats are already pairing up with new partners. It's no secret that HP and Beats are already enjoying a successful marriage, and Beats Audio is indeed included on the Envy Spectre 14 ultrabook that earned this year's CNET award for Best PC at CES 2012.
Likewise, Head Monster Noel Lee made moves on CES Press Day to announce new partnerships with music producer J.Y. Park, fashion brand Diesel, and Radio Shack that will roll out to anxious ears later this year.
In Iovine's own words, ""They're doing their thing, and we're doing ours."