Apple is Trying to beat Spotify and now is being invesitgate by DOJ

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Apple wants Spotfiy free to die. The way it's going about this though has the DOJ concerned:

The Department of Justice is looking closely into Apple’s business practices in relation to its upcoming music streaming service, according to multiple sources. The Verge has learned that Apple has been pushing major music labels to force streaming services like Spotify to abandon their free tiers, which will dramatically reduce the competition for Apple’s upcoming offering. DOJ officials have already interviewed high-ranking music industry executives about Apple’s business habits.

The Verge also reported:

Sources also indicated that Apple offered to pay YouTube’s music licensing fee to Universal Music Group if the label stopped allowing its songs on YouTube. Apple is seemingly trying to clear a path before its streaming service launches, which is expected to debut at WWDC in June. If Apple convinces the labels to stop licensing freemium services from Spotify and YouTube, it could take out a significant portion of business from its two largest music competitors.

I'm not surprised by Apple doing this. I'm glad the DOJ is looking it this. I'm not sure what they will do though.

What do you guys think about this news?

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I don't use any online music streaming services personally. I'm more of a fan of buying physical CDs or (sometimes) EPs and copying PCMs off them which I then convert into FLAC (all is done by CUETools and my 11/10 turntable).

But a lot of my mates use Spotify, Google+'s Music Thing as well as YouTube to listen to their stuff and they are pretty damn mad about it.

To me this news is another reason for everyone to go out and buy CDs again like I do.

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Love your enthusiasm about music quality but CDs are not the way to do it.

Free releases with option to donate via torrents in flac quality would be an ideal medium in my world.

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This is literally the most profoundly retarded thing I've ever seen Apple try. If this goes through the only thing that'll happen is that more people will turn to pirating music.

EDIT: I really hope Apple doesn't start targeting other music-streaming services like SoundCloud, or Bandcamp, because if they do, and they get their way, that's gonna completely fuck smaller artists (like myself).

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Bring back the torrents and blogspot downloads.

That's how real music enthusiasts do it.

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It's funny to me because the EU is also looking at this shaking their heads.