Apple Reportedly Looking To Launch Pandora Streaming Music Rival
There was once a time where Apple's iTunes was revolutionizing things in the digital music world. Remember when all digital music had DRM? Then, iTunes made a point to stop that for the mainstream. But lately, iTunes has faded in hype while services like Pandora, Spotify, MOG and Rhapsody have soared. But not so fast -- iTunes isn't laying down just yet. In a new report, it's suggested that Apple may be thinking about more than a new iPhone or perhaps a smaller iPad. It's also thinking about bringing a new feature to iTunes to give it some pep. Reportedly, Apple is currently working on a service that would compete directly with Pandora, possibly by using Apple's existing "Genius" music selection service to stream songs that aren't currently owned by an end user.
The company is said to be in "early" talks with record labels to try and figure out the subscription model, and you can bet that the service would rely heavily on mobile. Of course, it's a huge question mark as to whether something like this would even be allowed to work on Android and Windows Phone devices, though iOS integration would be seamless. Apple is hoping to best the existing services by seeking a "direct license" with the record labels, which could give it way more flexibility in song serving compared to the competition.
Unfortunately, the service is likely to be "months" away, so don't count on having a new way to stream when you open that stocking in December.
The company is said to be in "early" talks with record labels to try and figure out the subscription model, and you can bet that the service would rely heavily on mobile. Of course, it's a huge question mark as to whether something like this would even be allowed to work on Android and Windows Phone devices, though iOS integration would be seamless. Apple is hoping to best the existing services by seeking a "direct license" with the record labels, which could give it way more flexibility in song serving compared to the competition.
Unfortunately, the service is likely to be "months" away, so don't count on having a new way to stream when you open that stocking in December.
