Apple is getting into the streaming music service business with the launch of iTunes Radio. It’s a free service that lets you stream music from more than 200 stations. It’s sort Apple’s answer to Pandora.
You can access iTunes Radio on a Mac, PC, Apple TV device, or iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. While the service is free, the music comes from Apple’s catalog of iTunes content, and you’ll be able to tap a button to buy any track you’re listening to.
Apple says iTunes Radio starts with curated stations based on genres, but the stations become more personal the more you use the service. It detects your preferences and tailors the station to your tastes.
On an iOS device, iTunes Radio works with Siri, so you can ask who’s playing a song, or ask your device to play more songs like the one you’re hearing, among other things.
Apple also plans to use iTunes Radio to premier new songs from artists, and offer live streams of special events.
This also happens to be the first streaming music service of its type with rights to the music of Led Zeppelin, so if you haven’t gotten your fix of Led Zeppelin in the last 30 years, I guess that might be a selling point.
I’ll be interested to see how this pans out. The thing I don’t like about Pandora is that all the stations begin to sound the same. If I don’t like something when I’m listening to one station to get a particular mood, and I down rank it, it goes away from the station where I would want that song as well… And vice versa. As someone with diverse musical tastes who likes to match my music to what I’m doing and to create a mood to help me do it, I find that ‘feature’ frustrating. Here’s hoping that Apple’s version is more usable, otherwise I’ll just stick to Slacker even though I’m already paying for iTunes Match.
“Friends” say I “Ramble On” but it makes me “Sick Again” as to “How Many More Times” to prevent being “Trampled Under Foot” does Apple keep “Going to California” and copy “What Is and What Should Never Be” theirs without so much of a “Thank You” claiming “That’s the Way” of innovation yet “In the Light” day “The Song Remains the Same” and “Your Time Is Gonna Come” when a “Heartbreaker” judge spoils your “Celebration Day” by saying no more “Rock and Roll” leaving you “Dazed and Confused” why there’s no “Whole Lotta Love” for your “Candy Store Rock”.
iTuns?
You know, that music service that has “tuns” of songs for sale.