Samsung's Music Gamble: Will Milk Return?

Samsung's past foray into music streaming, Milk Music, launched in March 2014 and shuttered just two years later. The service, powered by Slacker Radio, offered a free ad-supported or a paid ad-free tier. Its demise in September 2016 coincided with Samsung's first wireless earbuds, the Gear Icon X. The author posits that better timing might have saved Milk Music, especially as wireless earbuds are now ubiquitous and often handset-specific, forming brand ecosystems.

At the recent S26 Galaxy Unpacked event, many expected Samsung to announce a new music streaming service, either through acquisition or partnership, to counter Apple's AirPods and Apple Music ecosystem. While Samsung showcased its new Galaxy Buds 4 Pro with advanced audio capabilities and emphasized its AI-driven ecosystem, a dedicated music service was conspicuously absent. Drew Blackard, Samsung's SVP of Mobile Product Management, stated that a music service relaunch is not currently on the radar, with priorities focused on Samsung Health, Wallet, and Care Plus for user loyalty.

Apple's historical success in music, from the iPod and iTunes to the acquisition of Beats, has cemented its dominant position. Samsung's lack of a comparable music streaming offering means that even with superior hardware like the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, users may still opt for Apple Music on their Samsung devices to achieve a fully integrated experience. This absence of a proprietary music service is seen as a significant misstep, leaving Samsung unable to fully leverage its hardware and AI to retain users within its ecosystem.