As the iPhone 5 event draws closer, more news outlets are dragging up possible plans from the Cupertino Company. The latest news comes from The Wall Street Journal, who reckons Apple will be launching its own internet radio service in the near future.
The report says that Apple is currently in talks with various companies to try and produce an online radio app or service similar to that of Pandora, Spotify and TuneIn Radio. Apple has carved out a strong lead in the music industry with iTunes but hasn’t shaken it up much in recent years, and the addition of free radio streaming is said to strengthen iTunes and iOS in the long run.
Apple is currently discussing licensing of music around the world for the service according to WSJ, and will most likely shell out big bucks to get the top artists available for its customers. Those in the know say that the service will be packaged into an app for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, and will likely also be available through a web browser for PC users, and possibly through iTunes. The app and service will be free, but will contain small adverts using Apple’s iAd system.
According to sources familiar with Apple’s plans, the company has looked into starting up a radio service in the past, but backed out due to high licensing costs. With Apple now rolling in its own giant mountain of cash, they’re reportedly back to planning web radio and are making the biggest push for it to date.
Talks have apparently only just started, so don’t expect to hear anything new on this front at next week’s media event in San Francisco – sources claim we may not even hear anything official this year.
With a growing number of successful internet radio apps already available for iOS devices – and most of them free – it will be interesting to see how Apple’s offering will fare if it comes to market, and if they’ll tighten their grip on rival apps to benefit their own.
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