Apple Music now available in UAE

Apple Music, the new streaming service is available in the UAE, Saudi, Oman and Bahrain, but not as yet in Qatar or Kuwait.

The Apple Music service was launched in over 100 countries with iOS 8.4 update, which also includes a new app.

Along with Apple Music, Cupertino is also launching its Beats 1 radio - a curated service headed up by some of the world's top DJs, including former BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe.

Rival streaming services such as Spotify have been notably absent from the Middle East market, meaning that Cupertino will gain an instant advantage by virtue of being the first major-league streaming service available to customers.

Apple Music will give new users a three-month free trial period, after which it will cost AED19.99 a month ($5.44 - cheaper than the $9.99 fee in the US). There are also family plans of AED29.99 ($8) a month, which requires iCloud Family Sharing.

Apple’s service differs in that there will be no free tier after the three-month trial, a fact not lost on the artists that Cupertino has been courting to sign onto the service.

Last week, pop star Taylor Swift made headlines with an open letter berating Apple for asking artists to forgo payment during the three-month trial period. Apple quickly u-turned, and as a result, Swift said that she would allow her latest album, 1989, to appear on Apple Music.

Apple has also confirmed other large acts like AC/DC, Dr. Dre and The Beatles will be using its streaming service. It hopes that its strong ties to the music industry, forged through the iTunes Store, will allow it to attract bigger names to Apple Music.