Apple reportedly planning to launch online radio service by early next year
Apple is gearing up to launch an ad-supported Internet radio service by early 2013, assuming negotiations with content providers go well, according to a new report.
Negotiations between Apple and music labels "have intensified," according to a report published on Thursday by Bloomberg. Those talks have allegedly focused on how the companies will share ad revenue, while a deal is expected to be reached by mid-November, according to unnamed sources.
However, a deal is not yet finalized between Apple and the record labels. Just last month, it was said that talks with Sony/ATV, the world's largest music publisher, had stalled.
Thursday's latest report claimed that executives from Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group Corp, and Sony Corp. all visited Apple's headquarters in recent weeks to learn about the company's Internet radio plans. Apple's Pandora competitor will reportedly allow users with iTunes accounts to "buy tracks as music streams or revisit what they've heard in auto-generated playlists."
Earlier reports had claimed that Apple's offering would differ from Pandora by including an element of promotion based on what songs the music labels are promoting in any given month. Pandora serves songs to users based on its own algorithms.
Apple's apparent Internet radio plans were first reported in September by The Wall Street Journal. It was revealed that Apple is looking to create a streaming radio service to rival current offerings like Pandora.
The new radio service from Apple is expected to focus on virtual stations to play music on a Web browser or through dedicated applications on iOS devices. Advertisements from Apple's iAd platform are expected to be incorporated into the service in exchange for free user access.
Negotiations between Apple and music labels "have intensified," according to a report published on Thursday by Bloomberg. Those talks have allegedly focused on how the companies will share ad revenue, while a deal is expected to be reached by mid-November, according to unnamed sources.
However, a deal is not yet finalized between Apple and the record labels. Just last month, it was said that talks with Sony/ATV, the world's largest music publisher, had stalled.
Thursday's latest report claimed that executives from Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group Corp, and Sony Corp. all visited Apple's headquarters in recent weeks to learn about the company's Internet radio plans. Apple's Pandora competitor will reportedly allow users with iTunes accounts to "buy tracks as music streams or revisit what they've heard in auto-generated playlists."
Earlier reports had claimed that Apple's offering would differ from Pandora by including an element of promotion based on what songs the music labels are promoting in any given month. Pandora serves songs to users based on its own algorithms.
Apple's apparent Internet radio plans were first reported in September by The Wall Street Journal. It was revealed that Apple is looking to create a streaming radio service to rival current offerings like Pandora.
The new radio service from Apple is expected to focus on virtual stations to play music on a Web browser or through dedicated applications on iOS devices. Advertisements from Apple's iAd platform are expected to be incorporated into the service in exchange for free user access.
Comments
iDora
In other news, when Apple said "the new iTunes will be available in late October", they really meant it. I'm waiting.
Don't tell me October isn't over yet. Just don't.
Pandora already has great Apps in the App Store and the Nano and Shuffle still won't be able to take advantage of such a service.
This could be the next Ping.
Anxiously waiting for the new iTunes as well. They have 6 days to go.
How about all of these in one app for iOS?
The only way I see this working/taking off is somehow an extension of Genius. If it's just another Pandora or Spotify, I agree it'll likely struggle. The aforementioned apps are everywhere from standalone in cars or TVs too. But it's Apple so they certainly deserve a crack at it.
either there is a new product in the pipeline that hasn't been leaked yet and in which this online radio service can play an important role or this "fantastic idea" isn't worth an announcement.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GadgetCanada
Anxiously waiting for the new iTunes as well. They have 6 days to go.
Why? I'm dreading the day I have to switch to it (when older versions don't work any more in future OS releases). I don't see anything good in it for me (I only use iTunes for music, and the new version's music part is severely lacking in flexibility. Probably good for people who want simplicity more than flexibility, though).
Quote:
Originally Posted by thataveragejoe
The only way I see this working/taking off is somehow an extension of Genius. If it's just another Pandora or Spotify, I agree it'll likely struggle. The aforementioned apps are everywhere from standalone in cars or TVs too. But it's Apple so they certainly deserve a crack at it.
It sounds creepy to me - mainly playing the songs that the record companies are promoting, and also sticking ads in there. What's next - informercials?.
Something must be missing from the picture. I don't see why Apple would be interested being a Pandora competitor unless they have some other mobile device in the plans. Even with iAds included how much revenue could they possibly see from having only the app, even ignoring the inevitable questions about user tracking and privacy if it's ad-supported.
A standalone streaming music service doesn't sound very Apple-y to me if it's not tied to a new piece of hardware.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatorguy
Something must be missing from the picture. I don't see why Apple would be interested being a Pandora competitor unless they have some other mobile device in the plans. Even with iAds included how much revenue could they possibly see from having only the app, even ignoring the inevitable questions about user tracking and privacy if it's ad-supported.
A standalone streaming music service doesn't sound very Apple-y to me if it's not tied to a new piece of hardware.
New iRadio streaming jukebox?
It's not November yet.
It's probably not for me either. I heard that the list view will disappear, and for me that's not a good thing. Just like when they dropped the coloured icons. Because of that single reason, I haven't updated my Aperture; still on 3.2.3.