Buggy Beats Music stops adding new members
The subscription-music service won't be accepting new subscribers till it can work out some kinks exposed by the influx of members. People can still register though.
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Bugs in the Beats Music app, and an initial surge of new members, are forcing the recently launched paid-subscription music service to stop signing up additional subscribers.
Beats Music CEO Ian C. Rogers said in a blog post Wednesday that because of "extremely high volume of interest...some users are experiencing issues" and the company is going to "hold off on letting more people in" while it works to fix them.
Most people are unaffected but our priority is to give everyone a great experience. We prepared for issues like these, have a plan, and are going to hold off on letting more people in while we put this plan in action.
Rogers wrote that people who didn't get on board as of Tuesday can still download the app and register; Beats Music will alert these consumers as soon as they're invited back in.
He said everyone who registers this week will get an additional seven days added to their free-trial period when the time comes. Paid-subscription-only Beats Music is offering a free-for-anybody seven-day trial but afterward requires a $10-a-month subscription fee. It also offers a yearly subscription for about $120.
AT&T customers can access unlimited song streaming and downloads for individuals across three devices for $10 a month, too, or for up to five family members across 10 devices for $15 a month. AT&T Family customers will receive a 90-day free trial, while individual AT&T wireless customers can get the first 30 days free. It will be part of an AT&T customer's regular bill.
CNET's review of Beats Music noted some bugs in the software, including the app working for several hours before kicking the user back to a start page to select music preferences and favorite artists again.
Beats is seeking to set itself apart from competitors by marrying algorithms with curated programming from taste-makers. Rogers calls it the difference between being a service and a server.
Jimmy Iovine founded Beats with musician and producer Dr. Dre and bought MOG, an on-demand subscription service. The intent was to combine that technology and the Beats brand to create Beats Music, also known by its code name, Daisy.