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Indie labels get on board with Apple Music

Apple Music was only announced a few weeks ago, but already it’s turned into quite the saga. Firstly, Apple announced its new streaming service, complete with a three-month free trial, then it was revealed that Apple planned not to pay labels song royalties during said three-month period, which Taylor Swift wasn’t too pleased about, expressing her concern in an open letter to Apple. That letter spread with viral speed and in due time Apple’s Eddy Cue said it would now be paying royalties during this time period.

However, amongst all this was a growing concern that Apple Music would only feature music from major labels. Early reports suggested that independent artists were yet to strike a deal – presumed largely in part due to Apple’s initial position on royalties. Now, it’s been revealed that Apple has reached a deal with Beggars Group, meaning that around 20,000 independent labels and distributors are now set to join the service.

So, it appears that Apple’s about-face may have paid off and Apple Music will become one big happy streaming family.

The news comes via a report on Billboard which says that Beggars Group, which owns a number of European labels including 4AD, XL, Matador and Rough Trade, had now signed on, despite previously opposing the service.

Apple Music is set to go live on June 30 with the release of iOS 8.4. After the aforementioned trial period, it will cost $9.99 per month, or $14.99 for families of up to six.