What you need to know
- The longtime president of Beats, Luke Wood, is leaving Apple.
- Apple Vice President Eddy Cue announced the departure to employees on Friday.
- Oliver Schusser, head of Apple Music, will be taking over in the role.
Apple continues to integrate the Beats brand into its company, and its latest move might be one of its most impactful yet.
In a new report from CNET, longtime president of Beats, Luke Wood, is leaving Apple. Oliver Schusser, who has headed up Apple Music and International Content for the last two years, will add the Beats brand to his list of responsibilities.
In a note to internal employees, Eddy Cue, Apple's Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services, says that while "he timing of the announcement isn't ideal", it had been planned for a long time.
"In the last year, Luke Wood told me about his desire to do something new. I appreciated the heads up so that it allowed us to plan for this transition."
Cue also took the time to say that Apple remains "committed to the Beats brand and the importance of maintaining its role firmly in the music portfolio" and also expressed his confidence in Schusser to take on his newly expanded role.
"Since taking on the Apple Music business a little over a year ago, Apple Music has achieved steady growth under Oliver's leadership. He's passionate about music and the Beats brand. He's equally passionate about building a strong, collaborative culture with his team."
Despite the continued consolidation of Beats into Apple, Cue maintains that the company is "committed to the Beats brand and the importance of maintaining its role firmly in the music portfolio." The brand released new versions of its Powerbeats and Powerbeats Pro headphones in the last year, devices that appeal more towards the sports headphones market whereas Apple's own headphones are made more for general use.
