Micah Singleton, writing for The Verge:

As of October, Apple Music has 6.5 million paid users, which is a great number for paying subscribers for such a young service. But Apple Music’s biggest problem is and will continue to be that millions and millions of people stream music for free from other services, and have little incentive to switch to a paid music service.

And:

67 percent of Americans streamed music every week before Apple Music existed. With no free tier, Apple has the cumbersome job of convincing the public, the majority of whom have chosen free services, to switch from something they know and pay for the same music without commercials.

And:

Apple Music also needs a standalone desktop app far, far removed iTunes, one of the least beloved pieces of software Apple has created. Earlier this year, Apple replaced iPhoto and Aperture with Photos for OS X, which has been a step up for most users. It should do the same for iTunes and build a new Music app for the desktop from the ground up.

Hard to argue with this logic. Apple Music is an odd duck, a part of the Apple ecosystem that doesn’t crush the competition with some combination of superior design, improved performance, or unmatchable convenience.

Apple Music doesn’t take advantage of its position inside the fence. Apple Music is tethered to the iCloud/iTunes music model, a hybrid created by the requirement that Apple Music play nice with my owned music. Lots of well publicized issues with this model.

Personally, I find the idea of a pure Apple Music app appealing, an app focused on discovery and music sharing, one with a social component that let me share my loved playlists with friends I follow, and let approved friends make their own additions to those playlists. I’d love the ability to “like” tracks, including tracks on Beats 1 and any radio station, and have those tracks automatically be added to a playlist for later recall.

Apple Music has a lot going for it. But I think it needs a reimagined interface, one with no strings.