We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. Learn more.

  1. Technology
  2. Multimedia

Apple to Start Charging for This Formerly Free iTunes Service

By:
Denver Nicks
2 min read
- Leland Bobbe—Getty Images
Leland Bobbe—Getty Images

Beginning on Thursday January 28, users of Apple’s iTunes radio service will have to start coughing up some cash for the formerly free music streaming service.

The move suggests that Apple is focusing its crosshairs not at internet radio service Pandora—with its ad-supported free service and $4.99 a month ad-free option—but at Spotify. Apple is essentially folding iTunes Radio into Apple Music, meaning users will have to pay a $10 monthly subscription fee, similar to Spotify’s $10 a month fee for ad-free music.

While it remains to be seen how many users of the free iTunes Radio service will make the move to Apple Music, the news could be a boon for Pandora. It may also boost the number of Apple Music users, which numbered 15 million in October, with 6.5 million paying a monthly subscription fee, Silicon Beat reports. That’s compared to Spotify’s larger base of 20 million paying customers

[Silicon Beat].

Tags