Apple TV, Beats Music Deal Finally Felt With New Set-Top Software Update

Apple has updated its TV set-top with software that includes Beats Music, a move that serves as one of the first signs that the company is incorporating its $3 billion investment into the subscription music service.

Last week's software update includes an iOS 8-like design that positions Beats Music right below the Apple TV interface, putting rumors to rest that Apple was actually in the process of closing down the music service, according to Mashable.

Mashable wrote that Beats and its founders, Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, had been quiet ever since striking a deal with Apple in May. Many sites, including TechCrunch.com, even reported that that the service was being shut down.

Urgent: Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama's Job Performance? Vote Now in Urgent Poll

"Many engineers from Beats Music have already been moved off the product and onto other projects at Apple, including iTunes," TechCrunch.com reported, citing unnamed Apple sources. "It's not clear when exactly Jimmy Iovine and Dr Dre's music service will be shut down or what Apple will do with streaming, but every source with knowledge of the situation that we talked to agreed Apple plans to sunset the Beats Music brand."

The tech site later updated its story in light of this week's Beats Music/Apple TV announcement, adding that the plan now is to modify Beats over time.

"Apple has told TechCrunch that our report of Beats being shut down 'is not true,' but sources familiar with the situation tell Re/code that Apple 'may, however, modify (Beats Music) over time, and one of those changes could involve changing the Beats Music brand," an update of the TechCrunch story stated.

"This aligns with what my sources said, which is that the Beats Music brand will be shut down, but that it's unclear what Apple wants to do in streaming music. It seems quite possible that the Beats Music product could be rolled into iTunes rather than being 'shuttered,' but that's semantics," the update continued.

Apple announced in February that its Apple TV had reached $1 billion in sales since 2013, but viewers still questioned the company's commitment to television. Apple CEO Tim Cook promised this year that Apple would make a more consistent effort to upgrade Apple TV, Tech Times noted.

Urgent: Assess Your Heart Attack Risk in Minutes. Click Here.

Related Stories:

• Apple U2 Tool Easily Removes Free Album Forced on Users
• Apple Changes to iPhone, iPad Software Coming With Digital Radio