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DJ Zane Lowe talks Beats 1 and Apple Music in new interview

In a wide-ranging video interview with Noisey, DJ Zane Lowe talked about why he left the BBC for Apple Music, and the best advice he received from Apple execs.

Zane Lowe helms Apple’s 24/7 worldwide radio station, Beats 1, which broadcasts from London, New York and Los Angeles. He says the appeal of Apple Music was the ubiquity of the iPhone as a listening device: “when you actually put it on a device, it’s with you all the time. You can reach people anywhere, anytime as long as you give them a reason to tune in. So I just wanted to know what that felt like.”

In the video, Lowe reveals how he turned to Beats founder and Apple Music exec Jimmy Iovine for “sage-like advice” when he first joined Apple, who essentially told him to not be boring. This hands-off approach seems to have passed on, as Lowe says that Beats 1’s many guest DJs get complete creative control over their radio slots. “We don’t tell any artist what to play, never ever put any creative restraint on what they want to do,” he explains.

Lowe also gives a quick tour of his LA office, talks about his time working for the BBC and MTV over in the UK and how it all differs from his origins back in New Zealand. You can see the full interview below.