One element to the service that doesn't sound so good is AdAge's claim that: 'iTunes Radio will not allow users to search and play a song on-demand.' I contacted Apple to confirm or deny this, but the company spokesperson I communicated with declined to comment. The service will deliver personalized stations based on your listening history and past iTunes purchases, allows you to build playlists up from what you are listening to, and has Siri support so you can order the service to give you some decent tunes.

iTunes Radio will let you stream whatever music you wish, and will also include radio stations, artist playlists and more. In brief, it's a more elegant version of Spotify/Pandora that offers both a la carte music downloads alongside all you can eat access to the entire iTunes catalog.

A report today suggests the launch will extend to different territories in 2014. If you're outside of the US you will be waiting for iTunes Radio, which Apple this morning confirmed, 'will launch in the US first.'Īpple didn't comment on what follows, but I don't expect international users to be kept waiting too long, as I feel certain the company intends a fast strike against Europe's Spotify, which has been cannibalizing iTunes Store sales. (Oh and it will also work on Apple TV…which itself seems set for the addition of a bunch of media and entertainment apps.) If you are an iTunes Match subscriber ($24.99/year) you can listen to the songs ad-free. Apple's music streaming service will be ad-supported and free to iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Mac and PC users running iTunes available as part of its huge product reveal in Fall.

Itunes radio free