Apple Announces iTunes Radio, Ad-Supported, Free for iTunes Match Subscribers

itunes radio

Apple announced iTunes Radio today, a new internet radio service that is built into the Music app in iOS 7. The new feature offers music discovery through featured and genre stations provided by Apple or through the creation of new stations based on a specific artist or song.

iTunes Radio is an incredible way to listen to personalized radio stations which have been created just for you,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “It’s the music you love most and the music you’re going to love, and you can easily buy it from the iTunes Store with just one click.

iTunes Radio keeps track of all of the songs listened to for easy access later for purchasing or repeat listening. iTunes Radio will also be available on Mac and PC through iTunes and Apple TV.

iTunes Radio will be available in the fall for free with ads while iTunes Match subscribers get an ad-free experience. The service will be available starting in the US only at first.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

iPhone 17 Pro: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade This Year

Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to...
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...

Top Rated Comments

ck2875 Avatar
160 months ago
I'm happy it's ad-free with iTunes Match.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
max53389 Avatar
160 months ago
I probably will use this more than pandora or spotify radio since its integrated into the music app. Just what I think.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Plutonius Avatar
160 months ago
Pointless feature. So many good quality radio apps. So many other services like last.fm or soundcloud (or even the pay for on mobile 'spotify).

iTunes Radio - what's its USP?

Who cares, it's free. If you don't like it, don't use it.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DaveNinja Avatar
160 months ago
I have iTunes Match anyways so i'll give it a try
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jtrenda33 Avatar
160 months ago
Awesome...if you're an iTunes Match subscriber.

Pointless feature. So many good quality radio apps. So many other services like last.fm or soundcloud (or even the pay for on mobile 'spotify).

iTunes Radio - what's its USP?

I'm actually pretty excited about this. As an iTunes Match subscriber, I love the fact that I get the ad-free version at no extra charge. I mean, who likes having their music listening experience interrupted with ads every couple of songs? And who likes being limited to the number of tracks you can skip? And with it being available both on OS X and iOS, and the fact that iTunes is the largest digital music store, I think this makes it WAY better than Spotify, which I really liked until my free trial expired. For non-iTunes Match subscribers, you may have a point, but for those of us who do subscribe to iTunes Match, it's awesome.

----------

Ad free for only 25 bucks a year is great. But can you select songs directly for playback, or just radio/playlist mode?

Great question that I hope the answer to is yes you can play songs directly.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rmwebs Avatar
160 months ago
A big old MEH after all that.

Also - shock horror its US only.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)