So you are wondering what Apple’s new music streaming service iTunes radio is and how does it work? We got you covered. Lets go over the basics of what it is and how it works. Lets start by the beginning, iTunes radio got introduces at the 2013 WWDC which is Apple’s annual conference where they introduces new exciting products and software such as OS X Mavericks and iOS 7. iTunes radio got launched to compete with streaming services such as Pandora and Google’s streaming service. The app requires no download and is already integrated into iOS 7
So, What is iTunes Radio?
iTunes radio is a Music streaming service from Apple which purpose is to get users to discover new Artist and not only stick with the well known ones while also discovering new music genres. Most of the time you get introduced to a new artist by a friend, Apple wants to change this with iTunes Radio, making it easier to discover less known artist with its Stations.
How do “Stations” work?
iTunes radio essentially creates what are called “stations” of different music genres, and taking the music that you listen to from your own Music library it will create stations with similar music, trending songs on Twitter Music will also influence on what track is going to be played next and so will songs that you have “liked” on iTunes radio. You can also create your own stations using any artist, song, or genre as a starting point. The more you use iTunes radio the smarter the App will get.
Is iTunes radio free?
Yes, iTunes radio is free but will show both audio and text ads if you don’t want to pay for the monthly subscription. Previous users of iTunes Match won’t have to pay for this subscription and won’t have any Ads displayed, iTunes Match costs $24,99 a year and will store all your purchased music in the Cloud, including music imported from CD into your music library.
How and When can i start using iTunes Radio?
iTunes radio is integrated in iOS 7 and is available in your Music app on your iPhone or iPad. It is also available on iTunes for Mac and PC and the Apple TV. As of now iTunes radio is only available in the US. This video provided by 9to5Mac gives a better idea on how iTunes radio works
