APBeats founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre.When Beyoncé's fifth studio album launched exclusively on iTunes last year, nobody was expecting it.
The album was a total surprise. But even without any pre-album hype or promotion, the album dominated the charts, selling more than 800,000 copies in the first three days.
That album, "Beyoncé," was an iTunes success story, and it's currently the fastest-selling album in iTunes history.
What isn't a surprise is that Apple wants to recreate some of this same success, and it's using Beats CEO Jimmy Iovine's connections with musicians to strike more deals, according to a new report from the New York Post, citing its own "music industry spies."
Since Iovine is already friends with musicians like Pharrell, Nicki Minaj, and Gwen Stefani, Iovine is reportedly now in "fresh talks with artists about doing exclusives."
Earlier this year, Apple acquired Beats for $3 billion. Apple CEO Tim Cook called Iovine a "creative genius" who "has a deep knowledge of the musical industry," and it looks like this could be our first example of Apple cashing in on some of Iovine's connections.
In addition to negotiating deals for an iTunes exclusive release, Iovine is also looking to explore new promotions for Beats Music, after the music streaming service saw success with a series of AT&T-sponsored Super Bowl TV spots starring Ellen DeGeneres last year.