Apple has revealed that on January 28, it will discontinue the ad-supported version of the service once known as iTunes Radio. Instead, the company will place it behind its music service paywall, meaning that you’ll have to sign up for the $10 monthly subscription to listen. However, if you’re interested in a “free” version, there’s always Beats 1.
In an email to customers on Friday, Apple said that starting January 29, Beats 1 “will be the premier free broadcast so you’ll continue to get all the best music and culture there with world-class DJs like Zane Lowe and specialty programming from artists like Dr. Dre, Drake, Pharrell Williams, and more.”
Apple launched the service in 2013 as a streaming music service to rival Pandora, Slacker Radio, and Rdio. It allowed you to create smart radio stations based on a song or an artist within your music library. A few weeks after its launch, it had amassed an audience of 20 million users. It rebranded to Apple Music Radio in the aftermath of the company’s acquisition of Beats, when Ian Rogers stepped in to lead the effort.
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