Apple Announces iTunes Radio, Ad-Supported, Free for iTunes Match Subscribers - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Announces iTunes Radio, Ad-Supported, Free for iTunes Match Subscribers

itunes radio

Apple announced iTunes Radio today, a new internet radio service that is built into the Music app in iOS 7. The new feature offers music discovery through featured and genre stations provided by Apple or through the creation of new stations based on a specific artist or song.

iTunes Radio is an incredible way to listen to personalized radio stations which have been created just for you,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “It’s the music you love most and the music you’re going to love, and you can easily buy it from the iTunes Store with just one click.

iTunes Radio keeps track of all of the songs listened to for easy access later for purchasing or repeat listening. iTunes Radio will also be available on Mac and PC through iTunes and Apple TV.

iTunes Radio will be available in the fall for free with ads while iTunes Match subscribers get an ad-free experience. The service will be available starting in the US only at first.

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....

Top Rated Comments

ck2875 Avatar
173 months ago
I'm happy it's ad-free with iTunes Match.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
173 months ago
I probably will use this more than pandora or spotify radio since its integrated into the music app. Just what I think.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Plutonius Avatar
173 months ago
Pointless feature. So many good quality radio apps. So many other services like last.fm or soundcloud (or even the pay for on mobile 'spotify).

iTunes Radio - what's its USP?

Who cares, it's free. If you don't like it, don't use it.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DaveNinja Avatar
173 months ago
I have iTunes Match anyways so i'll give it a try
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
173 months ago
Awesome...if you're an iTunes Match subscriber.

Pointless feature. So many good quality radio apps. So many other services like last.fm or soundcloud (or even the pay for on mobile 'spotify).

iTunes Radio - what's its USP?

I'm actually pretty excited about this. As an iTunes Match subscriber, I love the fact that I get the ad-free version at no extra charge. I mean, who likes having their music listening experience interrupted with ads every couple of songs? And who likes being limited to the number of tracks you can skip? And with it being available both on OS X and iOS, and the fact that iTunes is the largest digital music store, I think this makes it WAY better than Spotify, which I really liked until my free trial expired. For non-iTunes Match subscribers, you may have a point, but for those of us who do subscribe to iTunes Match, it's awesome.

----------

Ad free for only 25 bucks a year is great. But can you select songs directly for playback, or just radio/playlist mode?

Great question that I hope the answer to is yes you can play songs directly.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
173 months ago
A big old MEH after all that.

Also - shock horror its US only.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors