Earlier in 2015, Apple officially launched the Beats 1 radio station alongside the debut of Apple Music. Now, as 2016 inches ever closer, it looks like Apple is gearing up for expansion.
As revealed initially by French site Consomac [translated], Apple has recently filed trademark applications for B2, B3, B4, and B5. These were filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in November of 2015, and include the matching marks for Beats 2, Beats 3, Beats 4, and Beats 5. As of the time of this writing, the patent applications are currently under review. They were initially submitted by Apple in November.
On top of the applications themselves, each of them are filed under the streaming music- and broadcasting-related categories, and each of them are assigned to “Beats Electronics, LLC.” The logos that Apple has attached to each of the applications is exactly the same as Apple uses for Beats 1, but with the appropriate number in place for each radio station.
“Goods and Services: broadcasting and transmission of voice, data, images, music, audio, video, multimedia, television, and radio by means of telecommunications networks; broadcast and transmission of streamed music, audio, video, and multimedia content by means of telecommunications networks; matching users for the transfer of music, audio, video, and multimedia by means of telecommunications networks; providing access to websites, databases, electronic bulletin boards, on-line forums, directories, music, and video and audio programs”
While Apple hasn’t said anything official regarding expanding the Beats radio stations, it isn’t impossible. In August of this year, it was revealed that the deals that Apple put in place with music labels means Apple could launch up to five new stations without reworking the terms of their agreements. This means Apple could launch all of the stations it has applied for in a variety of different locales across the globe, just like Beats 1 is set up now. Moreover, these new stations could cover specific music genres.
Are you still listening to Beats 1?
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