Apple under US scrutiny over talks with record labels for Beats revamp

Washington

US antitrust officials are scrutinising Apple Inc's efforts to line up deals with record labels as it prepares to debut a new version of the Beats Music streaming service, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is looking at whether Apple is using its position as the largest seller of music downloads through its iTunes store to put rival music services such as Spotify Ltd at a disadvantage, one of the sources said.

The FTC's inquiry could complicate Apple's planned revamp of Beats Music this summer. Apple has approached more than a dozen artists including Florence and the Machine for limited exclusive rights to music and partnerships to help bolster the service, sources fami…