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Apple reportedly pressuring labels for more exclusives like Beyoncé's album

Apple reportedly pressuring labels for more exclusives like Beyoncé's album

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Pleased with the results of December's surprise Beyoncé album — which quickly became the fastest-selling iTunes album ever — Apple is reportedly on the hunt for more hits. Citing sources, The Los Angeles Times says Apple executives have recently begun "pressuring" record labels and artists for more exclusive titles. The Times says Apple is specifically trying to negotiate a special window of exclusivity on iTunes (like it does with movies) to make it the only place to get that music, long before others.

An exclusive window for music, just like movies

The company's pushed music labels for exclusives since it launched the iTunes Store more than a decade ago, but now faces threats from myriad streaming services like Spotify, Rdio, Beats, and others, that are doing the same thing. Each of those services has apps on Apple's platform, though represents a potential threat to Apple's own streaming radio service, as well as paid music downloads.

Apple, which declined to comment on the report, dominates the digital music business. The company did not invent it, but found the most success of anyone else after making deals with all the major labels and tying it to the iPod. According to data from the NPD Group last April, Apple accounted for 63 percent of paid music worldwide, though its number of downloads was far higher, with eight out of every 10 tracks and albums being bought on the service.