Eddy Cue on Curation in Media & Why It Matters at SXSW 2018 [Video]

On March 12 during SXSW 2018, hours before Eddy Cue Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services stepped on stage for his Featured Session, Apple announced the acquisition of Texture, a digital magazine subscription service known as the "Netflix for magazines."

The acquisition is poised to bring new high quality and trusted content into the Apple News feed and represents a larger move on Apple's part to become a content curator and guardian of free speech.

In Cue's 30 year-career at Apple, he has come to oversee their industry-leading content stores including the iTunes Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, Maps, Search Ads, Apple's innovative iCloud services, and more. On stage at SXSW, Cue sits down with CNN's Dylan Byers for a discussion on Apple's media strategy and content goals.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the conversation between Cue and Byers is Apple's dedication to the old adage, quality over quantity. Despite the company's purchasing power, Apple chooses to strategically invest in companies with the highest quality content and services.

"We don't try to sell the most smartphones or tablets in the world – we try to make the best one." - Cue

This philosophy carries over into all aspects of the business. From what Cue describes, Apple is "all in" on TV and content creation. Although still on the horizon and largely ambiguous, Cue suggests significant growth in the amount of original programming created by Apple. "We hope we bring some amazing, great-quality stuff. We'll have a few surprises...I have been at Apple for 30 years and am hoping to be there another 20, so I am not going to answer questions about future products."

Cue makes a point of saying that as Apple expands further into the entertainment industry and develops as a content powerhouse, the company will separate itself from Netflix and Hulu through its content.

"When you think of content, great storytelling is what's important. You get storytelling from big name people and also get it from new and up-and-comers." - Cue

Watch the video above for the full Featured Session at the 2018 SXSW Conference. Browse more 2018 Keynotes, Featured Sessions, Red Carpets, and Q&A’s on our YouTube Channel.

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Photo by Michael Caufield