BBC Radio DJ Zane Lowe Joining Apple's iTunes Radio Effort

Noted DJ Zane Lowe, who has headed up BBC Radio 1's popular evening new music show for over a decade, is leaving the broadcaster next month to join Apple, reports BBC News. Lowe has won a number of awards for his radio show and other work over the years, and was nominated for a Grammy Award this year for his role in writing and producing Sam Smith's album "In The Lonely Hour."

zane_lowe

Zane said: "I want to thank everyone at Radio 1 for their support and friendship. "The station has allowed me to share incredible music with the country's best music fans."

During his time on the station, the New Zealand-born DJ has become well known for championing emerging talent and many acts have made their breakthrough after having one of their tracks named as "hottest record in the world" on Zane's show.

While Lowe has apparently not publicly stated what role he will take on at Apple, The Guardian says it will involve the company's iTunes Radio streaming music service.

Lowe's role will likely include more than iTunes Radio at some point, however, with Apple currently working toward a revamp of the Beats Music subscription streaming service it acquired last year. Part of the plan reportedly involves folding Beats into the iTunes brand and integrating it with OS X and iOS.

As a result, there may be some changes in store for iTunes Radio, which has reportedly seen a lukewarm reception and has only expanded to Australia since its U.S. launch in late 2013, despite rumors of a number of other countries receiving access by early 2014.

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Spotlight

Apple Expected to Unveil Five All-New Products This Year

Wednesday January 21, 2026 10:54 am PST by
In addition to updating many of its existing products, Apple is expected to unveil five all-new products this year, including a smart home hub, a Face ID doorbell, a MacBook with an A18 Pro chip, a foldable iPhone, and augmented reality glasses. Below, we have recapped rumored features for each product. Smart Home Hub Apple home hub (concept) Apple's long-rumored smart home hub should...
airpods pro 3 purple

New, Higher End AirPods Pro Coming This Year

Tuesday January 20, 2026 9:05 am PST by
Apple is planning to debut a high-end secondary version of AirPods Pro 3 this year, sitting in the lineup alongside the current model, reports suggest. Back in September 2025, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to introduce a successor to the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026. This would be somewhat unusual since Apple normally waits around three years to make major...
airtag prime day 2

Apple Developing AirTag-Sized AI Pin With Dual Cameras

Wednesday January 21, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
Apple is working on a small, wearable AI pin equipped with multiple cameras, a speaker, and microphones, reports The Information. If it actually launches, the AI pin will likely run the new Siri chatbot that Apple plans to unveil in iOS 27. The pin is said to be similar in size to an AirTag, with a thin, flat, circular disc shape. It has an aluminum and glass shell, and two cameras at the...
smaller dynamic island iphone 18 pro Filip Vabrous%CC%8Cek

iPhone 18 Pro Leak: Smaller Dynamic Island, No Top-Left Camera Cutout

Tuesday January 20, 2026 2:34 am PST by
Over the last few months, rumors around the iPhone 18 Pro's front-panel design have been conflicted, with some supply-chain leaks pointing to under-display Face ID, reports suggesting a top-left hole-punch camera, and debate over whether the familiar Dynamic Island will shrink, shift, or disappear entirely. Today, Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital shared new details that appear to clarify the ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Apple's Secret Product Plans Stolen in Luxshare Cyberattack

Wednesday January 21, 2026 9:17 am PST by
The Apple supplier subject to a major cyberattack last month was China's Luxshare, it has now emerged. More than 1TB of confidential Apple information was reportedly stolen. It was reported in December that one of Apple's assemblers suffered a significant cyberattack that may have compromised sensitive production-line information and manufacturing data linked to Apple. The specific company...

Top Rated Comments

dubhe Avatar
143 months ago
Hope he's taking a desk job. If there's one thing I don't want to hear while listening to music it's radio "personalities" trying to be funny or extreme or whatever they call their banter. Right up there where with ads on the list of reasons why I don't care about getting the antenna fixed on my car.

You have obviously never listened to his show. Breakfast DJ he isn't, he only talks about the music which he knows intimately, hence, I guess, apple's offer. It would have taken a lot more than money to lure him over too, he will want to be part of something special in the music industry.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
legacyb4 Avatar
143 months ago
Interesting; I listen to music far more than I watch video on my 6...

Another dead end Apple is going down. Music (as a profit center) is dead while the future is in visual media (movies). Music had its place before everyone had screen in their pocket.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Astro321 Avatar
143 months ago
I, like many people I know, has zero desire to use my phone for watching movies. I enjoy listening to music far more than attempting to watch a movie of a tiny screen. I also refuse to watch movies on the 10inch flat screen attached to the underaideof the cabinet in my kitchen. I know you see some "trend" of people not listening to music, but people are listening to music, far more so than movie viewing of phones

Another dead end Apple is going down. Music (as a profit center) is dead while the future is in visual media (movies). Music had its place before everyone had screen in their pocket.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jroadley Avatar
143 months ago
Here's to hoping iTunes radio comes to these UK shores...
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SeaFox Avatar
143 months ago
Hope he's taking a desk job. If there's one thing I don't want to hear while listening to music it's radio "personalities" trying to be funny or extreme or whatever they call their banter. Right up there where with ads on the list of reasons why I don't care about getting the antenna fixed on my car.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Littleman Avatar
143 months ago
Big news. He will be sorely missed.
New iTunes radio channel imminent.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)