Eddy Cue: ‘ After 36 times at Apple, I’m also learning every moment ‘

Apple SVP of Services Eddy Cue. Photo credit: Re/Code
Last updated 5 hours agoIn an interview, Eddy Cue revealed what his favorite hardware is, as well as what Apple executives do. Cue and SuperSaf met up in London to discuss the growing number of services that Cue oversees. Apple Music, Apple News, Apple Podcasts and iCloud services are all included. Apple Pay, Apple Card, Apple Maps and Apple TV+ are also included. Cue was asked what Apple gear he used to perform his daily duties. His current arsenal includes the iPhone 15 Pro Max white without a cover, the 15″ MacBook Air for use on the go, the Mac Studio for home, and the 12.9.-inch iPad Pro. Cue, in addition to overseeing the teams who manage all these services, spends a great deal of time using them, including watching Apple TV+. “I watch a lot of [Apple’s] movies and TV shows. I get to watch it for work, which makes me crazy. Cue said, “I never imagined that it would happen — when I was studying computer science — that I’d be able to watch movies and television for work. That’s the best.” Apple’s executives do not just supervise Apple TV+ content. He also enjoys “getting to know the new products and helping to decide what they are.” Cue stated that his ability to hire and learn from good people was a key factor in his success. Cue said that he tries to create an environment in which people can excel. “They are usually the experts in what they do, and then I am there to help.” Cue said that he has a large number of employees who do the majority of the routine tasks to keep Apple’s services running smoothly. Apple’s top executives are “organized like a small company” and work closely together. “The beauty of Apple lies not only in the services but also in the fact that we work as one cohesive team. So what is the hardware team doing, what is Craig and the OS Team doing, and what are we doing, and so we can do that together,” said he. “There are no divisions at Apple, so there is no iPhone division or anything else. I was at the executive staff meeting, where Craig runs software, John Ternus runs hardware, and Johnny Srouji runs chips. I know their priorities and they know mine, [and] we both know where we are needed. Cue said, “We are highly dependent on one another in a sense. We’re also accountable to eachother.” “I don’t wanna let them down, and they don’t wanna let me down.” If you’re lucky to find something that you’re passionate for, it’s great. It’s not always work. Cue said that you don’t want your life to be a constant feeling of “I get up in morning and I have to go work.” “I wake up in the morning, and I was excited to meet one of my teams today.” Subscribe to AppleInsider YouTubeApple Music & Apple TV+ Cue was asked specifically about Apple Music & its associated services. His answers can be applied to many services Apple offers. Cue acknowledged that “at the end of it all, everyone has pretty much the same songs.” “But that doesn’t mean you can’t innovate and do special things. And that’s the error that people make, thinking well then there’s not much to do.” “If you look at the quality of music over the past few years, we have innovated.” In the history, music has been presented in two formats: mono and stereo. With surround sound, you can put on a pair of airpods, move your head, and listen to the music. It’s as if you were sitting on stage with the band, hearing it exactly the way they did when they sang it. Cue said that “as much we love technology and use it immensely, there is still an aspect that we are critical to us.” We create playlists algorithmically, but with a personal touch. We also do live radio shows, with real DJs. Cue realized that Apple Music’s Classical music was not very good. Cue and his team then developed a new app that was exclusively for Apple Classical. This application addressed the unique features of the format. Cue said, “I am incredibly proud of my team because we are always coming up with new ideas to improve the service for our customers and audiences, and I believe there’s still a lot more work to be done.” “It is part of Apple’s DNA.” Cue was asked to compare the Apple TV+ service with the other streaming services available. “I believe people will always subscribe more than one [streaming services], but we felt there was a space to not only be the most, but to be the best.” “You have got to remember that we didn’t really know much about making TV shows or movies, but I think we’ve put together one of the world’s best teams today.” In the five years since Coda won the Best Picture Oscar, I’m proud of what they’ve accomplished, from ‘Severance,’ to winning the Best Picture Oscar, and obviously, ‘Ted Lasso. “Right now, I think ‘Presumed Innocent’ is one of our best shows. The team has done a really amazing job for me personally. I’d say that [our mission] was quality over quantity.”