You might be excited to have heard Dr. Dre’s The Chronic legally streaming for the first time today on Beats 1, but you might have been disappointed to hear all the swearing bleeped out.
Apple’s 24/7 online radio station Beats 1 debuted today, and like the traditional radio it hopes to remediate, it appears that swearing is a big no-no. Many Twitter users noticed that swears were being censored in the songs played on the station. On the face, the decision makes sense because Apple is targeting Beats 1 at a broad audience, and it needs to appeal to (i.e. not offend) a huge swath of people. Profanity could rub many the wrong way, especially the families Apple markets to.
Unlike terrestrial radio however, there’s no regulation that would prevent Apple from playing uncensored music. Many feel that censoring isn’t an accurate representation of the music itself.
