In a marriage as cozy as coffee beans and foamed milk, Apple has teamed up with Starbucks to, yes, sell music. When your Wi-Fi powered iPod Touch or iPhone, or any laptop, is within range of a Starbucks, a button will pop up on the music store interface. Tap it, and you get songs recently played in that Starbucks, plus whatever music Starbucks is promoting at the time. Access to Starbucks' Wi-Fi network will be free (for iTunes shopping), and no hotspot login will be required.
Roll-out will start in NYC and Seattle, hitting 600 stores. By November, the SF area will have 350 stores. Apple and Starbucks plan to have all shops in major cities ready to go by end of 2008, and every Starbucks that has Wi-Fi by end of 2009.


Apple and Starbucks Announce Music PartnershipWirelessly Find and Buy Music at Starbucks
SAN FRANCISCO—September 5, 2007—Apple® and Starbucks today announced an exclusive partnership that lets customers wirelessly browse, search for, preview, buy and download music from the iTunes® Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks onto their iPod® touch, iPhone™ or PC or Mac® running iTunes while at a participating location. When a customer enters a participating location, their device will automatically recognize the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store using a high-speed Wi-Fi wireless network with no connection fee or hotspot login. Customers will be able to browse, search and freely preview millions of songs, including a new "Now Playing" service which displays the name of the song playing in the Starbucks store at that moment, then easily buy and download songs or albums directly to their device. Prices and selection on the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store are the same as on the regular iTunes Store. The service will make its debut at more than 600 Starbucks company-operated locations in New York and Seattle on October 2.
"Getting free access to the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store and the 'Now Playing' service at Starbucks is a great way for customers to discover new music," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Imagine walking into a participating Starbucks, hearing a great song, and being able to instantly download it onto your iPod or iPhone. We think this is very cool."
"With this partnership, we're bringing Apple's leadership in digital music together with not only our retail footprint, but the unique Starbucks experience, to offer customers a world-class digital music experience," said Howard Schultz, chairman, Starbucks Coffee Company. "Introducing this new service is a natural extension of our music strategy which only enhances the retail coffee experience for customers by helping them discover and acquire new music instantly."
After its debut in New York and Seattle on October 2, the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store will continue its national rollout to 350 Starbucks stores in the San Francisco Bay area on November 7; 500 stores in Los Angeles in early February 2008; 300 stores in Chicago in March 2008; and additional markets throughout the US later in 2008.
The iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks will run on the robust T-Mobile HotSpot Wi-Fi network which is available at participating Starbucks locations across the US.
With Apple's legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as Cover Flow™, integrated podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and iPhone, and the ability to turn previously purchased songs into completed albums at reduced prices, the iTunes Store is the best way for PC and Mac users to legally discover, purchase and download music and video online.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market this year with its revolutionary iPhone.
Starbucks Coffee Company provides an uplifting experience that enriches people's lives one moment, one human being, one extraordinary cup of coffee at a time. To share in the experience, visit www.starbucks.com.













Comments
You forgot to mention the Starbucks restroom integration. If you are near a Starbucks and a recently-cleaned restroom is available another icon appears on the dock.
Big deal! What about a discount/free service on regular wifi use if you are at a Starbucks with the iPod?
it's official now, jobs is the greediest man on the planet. why not team up with mcdonalds, nike, and satan while we're at it. oh right, he already did partner up nike. uggh!!
While this initial "integration" is somewhat underwhelming, it is something that hasn't been done before, and this could lead to more useful future integrations. Perhaps placing an order for coffee via the web browser? Both Starbucks and iPods have huge reach, and I imagine there are great things to come from such a team. At least if they can learn to work together and not hurt each other's feelings.
Laaaaaame.
@ JASON R:
That is exactly what you get -- free wi-fi when using your iPod at Starbucks. Did you not read the original post, or was it changed before you made your comment?
@Fait Accompli: Actually, it is stated that wifi will be free while you are shopping, which only means you don't have to pay the usual wifi fee to shop the store. Doesn't mean the wifi is free for other uses.
@sumocat: Which is stupid. Are there people so desperate to get online while drinking their Starbucks that they'll PAY for the privilege?
I don't think Starbucks should bother charging for wifi to begin with, but to charge- unless you're shopping one specific store on one specific device- is lame.
From a technical standpoint, I don't see how they'll make it work. Will the iPhone supply a special key? Or can any device browse the iTunes store? And how long before someone hacks it and tunnels around the iTunes store for free wifi at Starbucks?
Nice partnership - I'm in SB all the damn time so this will be really useful!
FREEness is Goodness :)
All the wifi I've ever seen at Starbucks has been those t-mobile "hotspots". I wonder if these means they'll start having general wifi at Starbucks.
Now here its the interesting part about this partnership. Starbucks uses T-Mobile as their wifi provider. Food for thought.
@t3knomanser: It's not Starbucks that charges for wifi but T-Mobile. I don't see them dropping the fee anytime soon.
seriously. this is lame.
More exciting than the new iPods and less frustrating than the iPhone price reduction was the partnership Apple and Starbucks announced yesterday.
Apple and Starbucks have formed an exclusive partnership that lets customers wirelessly browse, search for, preview, buy and download music from the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks onto their iPod.
@sumocat: So how do all these other business have free wifi? Starbuck could easily chose to implement a service that is free to the customer, they choose no to. You don't really think Starbucks doesn't get a piece of that wifi pie , do you?
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