iTunes Radio

Job listing suggests iTunes Radio is headed to Canada soon

Folks in Canada will be happy to hear that iTunes Radio may soon be landing in the country. A new job listing on Apple's website calls for a 'iTunes Canada Music Programmer,' who will be responsible for rolling out the music service.

Apple launched iTunes Radio last month alongside the redesigned iOS 7, and thus far it's only been available in the US. But if this job listing is any indication, the company could soon be rolling out the music service to more countries...

Rdio takes on Spotify and others with free mobile radio

Last summer, Spotify updated its mobile apps with a free Pandora-like radio service, and it has since seen its subscriber base grow by more than a third. Today, Rdio is betting on the same horse with its own mobile radio feature.

Rdio’s radio service—which it calls 'Stations'—will be available via its mobile apps. Like Pandora or iTunes Radio, users won't be able to choose a specific song or artist. But they will be able to listen to music based on their tastes...

Eddy Cue talks iTunes Festival and iTunes Radio in EW interview

September was a big month for Apple and its iTunes team. In addition to running its iTunes Festival—a 30-day long concert with some 60 performances, the company also launched a new streaming music service called iTunes Radio.

And yesterday, the folks over at Entertainment Weekly had the chance to sit down and talk with the man behind it all: Apple's SVP of software and services Eddy Cue. We've posted a few choice excerpts from the interview after the fold...

Nissan becomes exclusive iTunes Radio ad partner

With Apple's Pandora killer now out of the gate, Tim Cook & Co. are looking for monetization opportunities and have reportedly signed up high-profile advertisers. Several big name brands are said to have agreed to paying big bucks in exchange for rich media ad slots on iTunes Radio.

According to a report yesterday by The Wall Street Journal, Nissan has become an exclusive automotive partner on iTunes Radio through 2013. Also, Nissan's Versa Note and Leaf vehicles will gain custom iTunes Radio content, with unique content available across Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and PC devices.

But wait, there's more...

Apple pulls ATV 6.0 update following user complaints

I was met with disappointment yesterday, when I turned on my Apple TV to download and install the new 6.0 update. The set-top box, which is still running ATV software version 5.3, told me that my firmware was already up-to-date.

And apparently, I'm not the only one experiencing this issue. I guess in addition to support for iTunes Radio, AirPlay from iCloud, and iTunes music purchases, the software also included several bugs. Because Apple just pulled it...

Apple TV 6.0 is out: iTunes Radio, AirPlay from iCloud, iTunes music purchases, more

Following today's launch of the new iPhone 5s/5c and Wednesday's public release of iOS 7, Apple on Friday issued a major new software update to its "hobby project," the $99 Apple TV streaming set-top box. The company's been testing a companion Apple TV update since announcing iOS 7 at June's WWDC.

We previously caught glimpses of some of the new features such as AirPlay enhancements, automatic device configuration over Bluetooth, custom subtitles and Conference Room Mode for presenters. All of these goodies - and then some - are now readily available to Apple TV owners.

Go past the fold for the full details on iCloud Photos and Videos, iTunes Music Store purchases, Podcasts, AirPlay from iCloud and other Apple TV enhancements...

Apple hiring genre experts to curate music for iTunes Radio stations

Alongside iOS 7, Apple will also be launching its new streaming music service iTunes Radio this week. The move will signal the company's most significant in the digital music space since it first introduced the iTunes Store back in 2003.

Record labels, advertisers, and many others in the industry are betting big on Apple's radio service, which promises to help users discover and purchase new music. And today, CNET shares new details regarding Apple's efforts on that front...

Rdio announces free, ad-supported music service ahead of iTunes Radio launch

The popular streaming-music startup Rdio, is about to launch a a free, ad-supported music service just as Apple is prepping to flip the switch on iTunes Radio alongside iOS 7 release this Wednesday. According to a report Monday by The New York Times, the Pandora rival has also secured a new, $100 million partnership with radio operator Cumulus, which will also sell advertising for a free version of the service in the United States...

The Beatles arrive on iTunes Radio

Just two days ahead of general availability of Apple's iOS 7 mobile operating system that includes the company's free, ad-supported iTunes Radio service, it would appear Apple has worked out all the kinks with Apple Corps and has finally managed to bring The Beatles music to iTunes Radio. Remember, Apple struck a landmark agreement with Apple Corps to bring The Beatles music downloads to the iTunes Store back in 2010, following a period of legal wrangling between the two companies over licensing and trademark disputes...

AppleCare employee training commences ahead of iOS 7 launch

Apple today has reportedly begun educating its support army on the intricacies of iOS 7 and iTunes Radio and is training AppleCare employees to efficiently handle customer queries and help them transition to its revamped operating system, a reliable blogger has learned Thursday.

With iOS 7 now looming on the horizon and the software's official launch and public availability pegged for September 10, the AppleCare staff training is said to focus mostly on the visual changes in iOS 7, with specific emphasis on a few cherry-picked features. The company is also asking AppleCare employees to basically tell puzzled customers iOS 7 still works the same even though it looks significantly different than its predecessor...

It seems iTunes Match subscribers will get unlimited iTunes Radio skipping

The song-skipping feature that long stalled Apple's iTunes Radio talks with record labels could get a boost when iTunes Radio, which was announced at June's WWDC, launches this Fall as part of the iOS 7 refresh and iPhone 5S/5C launch.

Apple on its part hasn't definitely confirmed whether the free ad-driven service will in fact impose a ceiling on the number of song skips akin to Pandora and other digital radio services.

For what it's worth, iOS 7 Beta users currently can't bypass the song-skipping limit. In my testing, for example, iTunes Radio wouldn't allow me to skip more than six songs each hour per a specific station. But according to a new report, things could change come this Fall as Apple could enable unlimited song skipping for iTunes Match subscribers...

The iTunes Radio effect: Pandora will no longer cap free mobile listening

Pandora's 40-hour limit on mobile listening went into effect in February, quickly becoming the most hated "feature" of the otherwise stellar streaming music service. The firm argued it felt compelled to introduce the capping due to rising royalty costs, even if the 40-hour limit affected only four percent of its avid listeners. Backflipping now, Pandora said Thursday it will be removing the 40-hour free listening on mobile devices real soon.

The good news conveniently coincides with Apple's impending launch of its ad-free iTunes Radio, a streaming music service set to arrive next month as part of the iOS 7 release...