Apple Loses Music Executive

Apple Inc. is losing one of the main executives behind its new music service.

The company said Ian Rogers, one of the key executives retained by Apple when it acquired Beats last year for $3.2 billion, has resigned and is leaving the company. Mr. Rogers, a senior director, is credited with the creation of Apple's Beats 1, the online radio station developed as part of its new Apple Music initiative. He was the chief executive of Beats Music at the time of the acquisition.

A person familiar with the matter said Mr. Rogers is moving to Europe to work for a company in an unrelated industry.

The departure, earlier reported by the Financial Times, is a surprising development for Apple less than two months after its high-profile launch of Apple Music—a streaming music service that aims to compete with Spotify AB.

Apple Music has been dogged by complaints of clunky software. However, Beats 1—which Mr. Rogers created with former BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe—has received praise.

Mr. Rogers, who used to head Yahoo Inc.'s music service, joined Apple following the acquisition along with Jimmy Iovine, Dr. Dre and Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor.

Apple introduced Apple Music on June 30, providing three months of free access to users. Once the trial period ends, the service will cost $9.99 a month for individuals and $14.99 for a family plan of up to six people.

On Aug. 6, Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president overseeing Apple Music, said 11 million people signed up for the trial period in a little more than a month.

The first wave of subscribers is coming to the end of their trial period at the end of September. It remains to be seen how many will convert to paying customers.

Write to Daisuke Wakabayashi at [e-mail]

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 28, 2015 11:55 ET (15:55 GMT)

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