Apple Music streaming service to use more social features than Ping

Artists will be able to post media and promote one another's work on Spotify-style service, latest media reports suggest

Apple's last attempt at blending digital music and social networking flopped: Ping was unveiled in September 2010 as a way for people to follow friends and musicians within the company's iTunes store, but shut down two years later after it failed to catch on.

Now the company is reportedly planning another crack at social music, as part of its plans to relaunch its Beats Music streaming service in the summer.

Related: Why are Apple's music streaming plans arousing the interest of regulators?

Artists will also be able to share the content of other artists in an effort of cross-promotion. For example, all-gold Apple Watch wearer Kanye West could promote a new album from Taylor Swift on his Apple Music artist page, if he so chooses.

Using iTunes accounts, all users of the streaming music service will be able to comment on and like these posts from big name artists, but users won't have their own social network profiles like with Ping."

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