Apple's Pandora-like iRadio Service to Launch in 2013?

itunes radio round iconBTIG analyst Richard Greenfield is predicting that Apple will debut its long-rumored Pandora-like iRadio service to complement iTunes at some point in 2013. Previously, there were reports that Apple and the major music labels weren't close in negotiations, but Greenfield says they're still negotiating on song catalogs.

"Consumer behavior (is) increasingly shifting toward access to a music catalog from ownership of specific songs. We expect iRadio to be incorporated into the iTunes iOS app with personalized radio functionality akin to Pandora, integrated with iTunes to purchase music and other music related content such as concert information/tickets/merchandise via Live Nation (LYV) and Ticketmaster."

Back in October, Bloomberg reported that Apple and music labels had re-entered intense negotiations and iRadio was set to debut in early 2013. CNET then reported in December that the sides were far apart because Apple's terms left the labels "cold."

Apple SVP of Internet Services and Software Eddy Cue is considered Apple's "master negotiator" for content deals, so any potential negotiations with music labels would likely go through him. Greenfield also predicts that Apple's long-rumored Apple TV won't debut in 2013 because of content restrictions.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
iphone 17 pro majin bu sky blue

iPhone 17 Pro Allegedly Coming in Sky Blue Color Used for MacBook Air

Tuesday April 22, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 Pro in a new Sky Blue color, the same color that debuted on the latest M4 MacBook Air models Apple released in March. That's according to the leaker Majin Bu. Concept mockup from Majin Bu Writing on his website, Bu claims that "sources close to the supply chain confirm that several iPhone 17 Pro prototypes have been made in various colors, with Sky Blue...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...

Top Rated Comments

netvvork Avatar
161 months ago
oh lord

they need to get itunes, itunes store, and itunes match working right first. the whole "it just works" thing has not been true for so long now. just today the mobile itunes store was making me want to punch babies because it took almost 5min to load my "purchased" list on my iphone. this is not downloading the list, mind you. this is just so i could look at it. sheesh. the reasons why i fell in love with apple are starting to stretch thin.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacManTexas56 Avatar
161 months ago
Confused as to what the hell the point of this would be...

Imagine streaming all content you own on iTunes like how pandora works but with music u own. Cutting out random songs u don't wanna hear

----------

they need to get itunes, itunes store, and itunes match working right first. the whole "it just works" thing has not been true for so long now. just today the mobile itunes store was making me want to punch babies because it took almost 5min to load my "purchased" list on my iphone. this is not downloading the list, mind you. this is just so i could look at it. sheesh. the reasons why i fell in love with apple are starting to stretch thin.

Punch babies? Man you're mature
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
\-V-/ Avatar
161 months ago
they need to get itunes, itunes store, and itunes match working right first. the whole "it just works" thing has not been true for so long now. just today the mobile itunes store was making me want to punch babies because it took almost 5min to load my "purchased" list on my iphone. this is not downloading the list, mind you. this is just so i could look at it. sheesh. the reasons why i fell in love with apple are starting to stretch thin.
You might want to consider upping your medication if Apple is causing you to maim infants. :)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iPhoneApple Avatar
161 months ago
Excited for this!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adversus Avatar
161 months ago
I have to admit, I have fired up iTunes (on devices or desktop) maybe twice in the last year and a half. I've been using Spotify almost exclusively, and have saved so much money paying only $9 a month instead of $50-60 a month on buying albums.

If I can't make play lists and listen to songs I want to listen to without having just general radio stations... not interested.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
skysailing Avatar
161 months ago
Confused as to what the hell the point of this would be...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)