During the Powerbeats Fit event, we had the opportunity to interview Oliver Schusser, Apple’s VP of Music, Beats, and Sports, at the Apple Music Studio in Culver City. Schusser, who was involved in the initial launch of Apple Music, reflected on the first ten years of the service, the fundamental integration between Beats and Apple, and the expansion of the company’s accessories.
The VP states that Apple Music emphasizes the sharing of songs, playlists, and albums, and that Apple Music Radio plays a significant role in that approach. “We’re aiming to make everything sociable, but our communication aspect is more about a fan experience, a contemporary version of MTV, an artist platform.” When questioned about the company’s rivals, which often seem to be more concentrated on social features, Schusser mentioned: “I don’t believe our competitors have more social features; they simply promote them more.”
In recent years, Apple has advanced in the social facet of the music streaming service by launching enhanced Apple Music Replay playlists, personalized recommendations based on what friends are listening to, and more.
Apple Music underwent changes in iOS 26, but macOS Tahoe is still behind
Before discussing Beats and the new Powerbeats Fit, I inquired with Schusser about the recent Apple Music redesign in iOS 26. The new Liquid Glass UI introduced greater consistency across the various Apple platforms. Nevertheless, the Apple Music app on macOS Tahoe continues to resemble the traditional iTunes experience while not providing all of the features available in the iOS app. For instance, the auto-pin feature on the Mac lacks the same shortcuts found on the iPhone, and the Mac retains certain exclusive functionalities, like a proper play count for songs.
“It’s interesting that the Mac actually offers features in Apple Music, such as creating folders in your library, that you can’t do on iPhone. We strive to be best-in-class across Apple platforms, including the Mac,” Schusser shares. “However, the Mac is, in terms of usage, a smaller platform compared to others. That’s why sometimes features available on iPhone or iPad aren’t yet on the Mac.”
Apple VP on Powerbeats lineup and new accessories
Apple purchased Beats in 2014. Despite the acquisition, it still sometimes feels as though the two companies operate independently. Schusser, VP of Music, Beats, and Sports, states that Beats has always been in sync with Apple. “We’re 100% an Apple company. Our engineers collaborate closely with Apple engineers. Beats is centered around the blend of fitness and music, targeting a youthful, diverse demographic, vibrant colors, and cultural marketing. This enhances Apple products like AirPods.”
Schusser further discusses what sets the Powerbeats lineup apart. “We noticed that Beats Fit Pro users are quite active, so we created Powerbeats Fit for workouts. We focused intensely on the wingtip design to create the ideal headphone for an athletic lifestyle. It was thoroughly debated internally, but it met our high standards for Powerbeats.”
The executive also detailed the beginnings of Beats’ development of cases and cables: “At Beats, we have our core products, but we’ve always enjoyed collaborating with celebrities and brands. Each time we did those collaborations, we were also creating custom cables. As time passed, we became really skilled at crafting these beautiful, high-quality cables in great colors, and we thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we sold them?’ That led us to consider what more we could achieve with the brand. As part of Apple, we believed we could create something magical. We’re essentially at the conclusion of year one and transitioning into year two with many more ideas. Most importantly, customers appreciate it.”
