Burberry fashion made history by becoming the first British high fashion retailer to launch its own channel on Apple Music. The luxury giant has redefined the limits of digital innovation since Christopher Bailey became CCO at the time of 2004. This partnership marks one of their most important milestones in their digital experience.
The brand’s new channel exists within Apple Music’s “Curators” section and showcases exclusive live performance videos from both established and emerging British artists. The move strengthens Burberry fashion house’s Acoustic series, which started in 2010. The series has commissioned nearly 100 performances and generated more than 19 million YouTube views. The channel reaches Apple Music’s base of 11 million sign-ups who currently enjoy the service’s three-month free trial.
The partnership makes perfect sense given Burberry’s digital expertise over the last several years. To name just one example, they became the first brand to broadcast their fashion show live in 3D from multiple global locations back in 2010. Christopher Bailey’s words reflect this perfectly: “Music has always been intrinsic to what we do”. This Apple Music channel naturally extends the brand’s identity.
Burberry launches first branded Apple Music channel
Image Source: Marketing Week
Burberry, the London-based fashion brand, has become the first luxury goods maker to create its own channel on Apple’s music streaming service. This groundbreaking move shows how the trenchcoat maker is expanding its digital reach and cementing its place as a cultural trendsetter beyond fashion.
What makes this partnership historic
This is the first time a fashion house has stepped into Apple’s music streaming world. Before this launch, the platform only had channels from media outlets like GQ, Wired, Pitchfork, and Rolling Stone. The partnership stands out because it’s the first time these companies have worked together since Apple hired former Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts to lead its retail operations in 2013.
Burberry has set up this channel to support British musical talent. Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s Chief Creative and Chief Executive Officer, explained its importance: “Music has always been intrinsic to what we do and I am excited about our partnership with Apple on this amazing platform which will enable us to take what we do now with Burberry Acoustic and share it with an even bigger audience”.
This partnership shows Apple’s move toward luxury branding, which started with its work with Hermès on high-end Apple Watch bands. The timing fits well with Apple’s growing interest in fashion, shown by their choice to hire LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE’s Ian Rogers as group digital officer earlier that month.
The channel started with exclusive videos from emerging British artists:
- Lilla Vargen
- Georgie
- Rhodes
- A special performance by iconic British singer-songwriter Alison Moyet filmed at Burberry’s Womenswear show
How the channel fits into Apple Music’s Curators section
Burberry’s channel sits in Apple Music’s “Curators” section next to content from established media brands. This spot lets the luxury fashion house act as a cultural curator and expand its brand beyond clothing into lifestyle curation.
The channel highlights Burberry’s work with both new and established British artists. Users can find performances, songs, films, and regular playlists that celebrate great British musical talent from past and present. Apple Music subscribers can follow the brand and get musical updates and behind-the-scenes stories from featured artists.
This is a natural next step for Burberry’s musical projects. The brand launched its Acoustic platform in 2010 to promote emerging artists on Burberry.com and YouTube. They’ve commissioned, curated, and filmed almost 100 performances since then, getting over 19 million YouTube views.
The Apple Music channel gives Burberry a chance to reach Apple’s large user base. When it launched, the service had 11 million sign-ups during its three-month free trial. This means Burberry’s music will reach many more people than their previous platforms did.
Unlike their YouTube and website content, users need to pay $9.99 monthly for the Apple Music channel after the free trial. This puts the content in a premium space that lines up with both companies’ luxury image and targets people with extra money to spend.
The channel gets regular updates with video performances filmed at Burberry’s runway shows and events. This shows how music has become part of Burberry’s identity under Bailey’s leadership. He has supported British artists like Tom Odell, James Bay, and George Ezra through the company’s fashion presentations.
Burberry Acoustic evolves into global streaming platform
The burberry fashion house started making music long before its Apple Music debut. Burberry Acoustic, a trailblazing initiative, reshaped the scene and became a global streaming sensation.
Origins of
Christopher Bailey launched Burberry Acoustic in 2010 when he served as Chief Creative Officer of the burberry fashion brand. Music and fashion were Bailey’s twin passions. He created this platform to unite these creative worlds. His love for music defined his time at the fashion house. He believed music should “spread through everything that Burberry does, from the virtual to the physical”.
Bailey explained it best: “We try to make sure that the music always has a personal resonance. We also often talk about the craft of music in the same way that we might cut and sew a trench coat — somebody has made that instrument and now somebody is actually using that instrument to play something”. This philosophy shows how the burberry fashion brand saw music—as another craft similar to their fashion.
Bailey’s “pet project” with “absolutely no commercial value” grew faster into the life-blood of the brand’s identity. His pure love of music and desire to share it with Burberry’s audience created unexpected business success. Former CEO Angela Ahrendts later shared that Burberry Acoustic boosted website dwell time from 8 to 18 minutes.
The creative approach felt more genuine than typical fashion marketing. The burberry fashion brand filmed lesser-known British musicians performing in rural British settings while wearing Burberry clothing. These musicians became “live mannequins” in content that looked more like short films than ads.
Burberry Acoustic served many business goals beyond entertainment. The platform highlighted the brand’s British roots in a market full of French and Italian luxury houses. The brand connected with millennials, a customer group they had missed earlier. Most importantly, it helped change the brand from “dusty and traditional” to “young and modern”.
The company shared Burberry Acoustic across its website, YouTube, and Spotify. By 2015, they had created nearly 100 performances by emerging British artists, getting more than 19 million YouTube views. The project grew to 130 Burberry Acoustic films that became “the backbone of music through the brand”.
Dave Chase joined Burberry in 2011 and noted that Burberry Acoustic was a “budget-friendly platform that involved hundreds of thousands of customers”. Musicians from the platform often performed at London Fashion Week shows and global events.
The platform succeeded because it stayed true and supported talent. Chase explained, “There was something very special about Burberry Acoustic. Leading the way in bringing fashion and music together, whilst giving a lot of talent a step up in the industry”. Finding and promoting new artists remained the platform’s focus throughout its growth.
The burberry fashion brand’s partnership with Apple Music shows how far they’ve come. Christopher Bailey emphasized this connection: “I am excited about our partnership with Apple on this amazing platform which will enable us to take what we do now with Burberry Acoustic and share it with an even bigger audience”. A passion project turned into a global streaming platform, strengthening music’s role in the burberry fashion house’s identity.
FAQs
Q1. What is Burberry’s Apple Music channel about? Burberry’s Apple Music channel features exclusive live performance videos from both established and emerging British artists. It’s an extension of Burberry’s Acoustic series, showcasing the brand’s commitment to supporting British musical talent.
Q2. How does Burberry’s Apple Music channel fit into the platform? The channel is placed within Apple Music’s “Curators” section, allowing Burberry to function as a cultural curator. Subscribers can access performances, songs, films, and regular playlists celebrating British musical talent, as well as behind-the-scenes stories from featured artists.
Q3. When did Apple Music launch? Apple Music was launched on June 30, 2015, in 100 countries. Initially, new users received a three-month free trial subscription, which has since been reduced to a one-month trial period.
Q4. How has Burberry integrated music into its brand identity? Music has been intrinsic to Burberry’s brand identity, especially since Christopher Bailey’s tenure as Chief Creative Officer. The brand launched Burberry Acoustic in 2010, which has commissioned nearly 100 performances and generated millions of views on YouTube. This initiative has now evolved into the Apple Music channel.
Q5. Is Burberry still a popular brand? Yes, Burberry continues to be a popular luxury brand. Recent financial reports show growth in comparable store sales, particularly in markets like Greater China and Asia Pacific, indicating sustained consumer interest in the brand.
