Official Google Music app for Apple's iOS to launch this month - report

When Google's Spotify competitor — which gives users access to a wide catalog of streaming music for a $9.99 per month subscription fee — launched in May with desktop web access and an official Android application, iOS users were left only with the choice of a small mobile web app or unsupported, third-party native apps. That is set to change as Google is readying an official iOS app for the service, according to Engadget.

Previously, Google cited DRM concerns as their primary reason for delaying an iOS launch, saying that Flash support was required on the device. The search giant has reportedly jumped that technical hurdle and the iOS app is in employees' hands for testing, with a public unveiling coming later this month after the company can squash a few lingering bugs.

When the service was first announced in May, Google said its Play Music All Access would arrive on iOS in the coming weeks. Since then, the company has remained silent on when the official application may launch.

The report comes as Rdio, another competitor in the suddenly hotly contested streaming music space, on Thursday announced the launch of its own free internet radio service for iOS and Android. Apple's iTunes Radio has turned up the heat on the competition, attracting more than 11 million listeners in its first week of availability and prompting brands like Nissan and McDonald's to pay up to $10 million to advertise on the service.