Beats Electronics has finally acquired subscription music service MOG. “Beats was created as a response to the complete erosion of the music experience,” Beats’ president and chief operating officer Luke Wood told USA Today. “Our whole reason for starting Beats was to try to bring emotion back into that experience. We believe music services is a vital part of that ecosystem.” MOG, which was founded in 2005, offers a music streaming service that competes with Spotify and Rhapsody. The company’s library has more than 16 million songs available for free online and on a wide range of other devices for paying subscribers. Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer HTC is the majority owner of Beats, and the deal could open the door for a subscription music service built right into the company’s Sense user interface.
“Beats is a company as obsessed with sound quality as we are and we share a common goal of creating a more premium sound experience and emotional connection with music in the digital era,” said MOG founder and CEO David Hyman. “The addition of MOG’s music service to the Beats portfolio will provide a truly end-to-end music experience.”
The two companies would not give an example as to how both companies’ products might integrate one another, although it is speculated that Beats By Dre could offer customers extended trials of MOG’s service.
“Time will tell exactly how we integrate our products and services,” Hyman said. “MOG and Beats have a shared vision of providing a premium sound experience to listeners and increasing the emotional connection they have with music so building on the solid foundation we’ve created, the possibilities around future innovation are endless.”
The terms of the deal were not disclosed.