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Apple has announced a slew of changes to its music offerings, in which it has rebranded its flagship radio station, Beats 1, to Apple Music 1, and will launch two new radio stations. The new stations, called Apple Music Hits and Apple Music Country, will focus on top songs from the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s, and country music respectively.

The rebrand of Beats 1 is reportedly aimed at better aligning the company’s radio stations with Apple Music, the company’s subscription-based streaming music service. While further expansion of Apple’s radio portfolio can help the platform differentiate itself from rivals Spotify and SiriusXM-owned Pandora by offering artist interviews, global exclusives, and breaking music news.

Oliver Schusser, the VP of Apple Music, Beats, and International Content, stated, “For the past five years, if ever there was a meaningful moment in music culture, Beats 1 was there bringing human curation to the forefront and drawing in listeners with exclusive shows from some of the most innovative, respected, and beloved people in music. Now, Apple Music radio provides an unparalleled global platform for artists across all genres to talk about, create, and share music with their fans, and this is just the beginning. We will continue to invest in live radio and create opportunities for listeners around the world to connect with the music they love.”

Apple Music had over 68 million paid subscribers at the end of 2019, and its continued success will be largely influenced by Schusser. But he isn’t alone. Here is the team at Apple that is working to make its music streaming service the best in the industry.

Meet Apple Music's executive team

Steve Savoca plays a critical role as the streaming service’s Head of Label Relations. In this role he concentrates on independent labels, with a special focus on international markets ensuring that Apple Music is stocked with a wide range of music. Savoca has deep experience in this aspect of the music industry as he was an executive with Spotify for over five years and served as the head of digital at Domino Records.

When it comes to Apple Music 1’s artist interviews and global exclusives Stephanie Freese, the Head of Strategy, Live Events & Original Content at Apple Music, will be a central figure. She joined Apple in 2013 as the Head of Music Marketing for iTunes and had previously worked as an executive at Sony Music Entertainment. At Apple Freese will likely help Apple Music 1 secure the exclusive live content and interviews that will set the streaming service apart from competitors.

Alex Gale is the Head of Editorial for Apple Music, meaning he is responsible for all written content on the streaming service. This extends beyond artist profiles and crosses over into video projects and content for Apple Music 1. Gale is a veteran music journalist who has written for publications such as Billboard, Complex, XXL and Vibe.

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