Apple is lining up big name artists including Elton John and Dr. Dre to host shows on its Beats 1 online radion station when it launches next week. Beats 1 is part of the new Apple Music service the company unveiled earlier this month at Worldwide Developer Conference.
Apple gets celebrity hosts for Beats 1 Internet radio station
The "Elton John's Rocket Hour" will be a mix of old and new songs picked by Elton John, and Dr. Dre's show will be called "The Pharmacy." Other artists already signed on to host Beats 1 shows include Pharrell Williams and Drake, according to Music Week.
Disclosure, St. Vincent, Jaden Smith, and Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age are also said to have shows lined up for Beats 1. Other artists and celebrities are lined up, too, although Apple hasn't released a list of exactly who will have shows on its internet radion station.
Apple Beats includes the Beats 1 online radio station, a streaming music service, and a social platform where artists can interact with their fans. Monthly subscriptions are priced at US$9.99, and the service includes a free three month trial.
Apple started signing on independent artists and labels this week after announcing it would pay music royalties for the songs subscribers listen to during the free trial period. The deals Apple had with rights holders originally left the company off the hook for royalties during the trial period, and then paying above industry rates after that.
Popular DJ and music industry personality Zane Lowe left BBC Radio 1 to join Apple's Beats 1 earlier this year. He'll be hosting his own show, as will several other well known radio DJs.