Swizz Beatz and Timbaland Sign Deal Bringing Verzuz to Apple Music

Verzuz battles will now be simulcast live on Apple Music and Beats 1.

Swizz Beatz and Timbaland have found a home for the Verzuz series. On Monday, a representative for the two announced Apple Music is now the exclusive music partner for the battle series. The platform will work with the two to produce new episodes without streaming issues.

"Born out of a desire for community during this era of distancing," a statement reads, "these time-stopping events have become a celebration of the parallel artistry of hip-hop and R&B's biggest songwriters, producers, and artists, pitting them against each other in good-natured face-offs that have made for some of the best entertainment in music since live concerts."

Weeks ago, a Nielsen Musicstudy revealed the series' impact on featured artists' streaming statistics. According to the report, the May 9 battle between Erykah Badu and Jill Scott increased their streams a combined 217%. The Beenie Man and Bounty Killer battle on May 24 increased their streams a combined 216%. Babyface and Teddy Riley's battle increased their streams by 90%, while Nelly and Ludacris' battle on May 16 increased their streams by 30%.

The series' last two battles featured Jadakiss and Fabolous and Alicia Keys and John Legend on Juneteenth. Audio of both battles are available to stream on Apple Music.

The next battle, between Snoop Dogg and DMX, starts July 22 at 8pm Eastern Standard Time. Ahead of the battle, Apple Music has posted a Verzuz Cheat Sheet playlist of the two artists' most iconic work. Stream the playlist below.

Stay tuned for more news regarding the Verzuz battle series.