APPLE MUSIC: FIRST INVOICES, NEW QUESTIONS

The first Apple Music free trial period has expired, a key milestone in the advent of the streaming era. How many subscribers will stay aboard? How might family plans, which seem to have greater retention than individual plans, affect overall subscriber numbers?

Meanwhile, the recent arrival of iOS9, which reportedly achieved a staggering 50% adaptation rate, may significantly offset any decline from the first trials ending. Many iPhone and iPad users wait for the next "whole number" update rather than downloading the incremental ones, and may also have waited to update from the old iTunes to the new Apple Music.

Apple's marketing and advertising push for the service remains a vital question mark. The Weeknd ads that began with the VMAs and the Oprah-fied Mary J. Blige spot that started airing on Emmy night indicate Apple may finally have begun educating the public about the power of streaming. A more male-directed phase of the campaign is said to be in the offing.

The new marketplace is truly in effect. Once people actually know what it is, this could get pretty exciting.