Apple is getting cosy with China in a big way by launching Apple Music, iTunes movies and iBooks to customers in China. The Chinese government has not been kind to tech companies in the past, and Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, all have suffered bans.
After its success in the Chinese market with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple has every reason to want to expand in the territory.
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The California-based tech giant’s entry strategy does not look at all that unique to the Chinese market. The services will have the usual international list of content on their catalogue but will also feature Chinese releases. Users can look forward to seeing local releases from local film studios, book publishers, and record labels.
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Users in China will have an opportunity to enjoy the three month trial to Apple Music from 30 September 2015. For the rest of the world, where the trial was introduced three months ago, it ends on the same day. Apple Music will feature local artists such as Eason Chan, Li Ronghao, JJ Lin and G.E.M.
For iTunes Movies, Apple has announced that the catalogue will include the latest international list of titles like Jurassic World, Furious 7, and Avengers: Age of Ultron but will also include local movie titles. Local movies will include titles from Chinese-based studios such as including Bona, Huayi Brothers and 1905.
One of the biggest movie titles in China, The Taking of Tiger Mountain, will be free to all iTunes users in China but only for a limited time.
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The iBooks Store will have a wide range of international titles, with Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series available for the first time in China in a digital format. The catalogue of locals books will include a wide selection of paid and free Chinese language books from top local publishers.
Chinese titles will include Big Head Son & Little Head Dad by Zheng Chunhua and The Family Belongings of Chinese People by Ma Hongjie.
“Customers in China love the App Store and have made it our largest market in the world for app downloads. One of the top requests has been more great content and we’re thrilled to bring music, movies and books to China, curated by a local team of experts,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services.
The company also revealed that Apple Music will be coming to Android in the coming months.
