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Apple to give the first hit free with its new streaming service - report

Apple is reportedly planning to entice consumers to sign up for its new streaming music service by offering a number of try-before-you-buy options, including a lengthy trial period and revamped iTunes Radio stations.

Potential customers could try the new service —  which is thought to be based largely on Beats Music — for free for as many as three months, according to Re/code. Beats currently offers a two-week free trial.

Additionally, labels and artists could make some portion of their catalogs available for non-subscribers. One song from an album might be available to stream for free, for instance, while a subscription would be required to listen to the rest.

Finally, iTunes Radio could play a larger role with more human-curated stations.

Apple is still negotiating with record labels for new streaming licenses, a process which could delay the service's launch. Many believe that Apple prefers to introduce the service during next month's Worldwide Developers Conference.

Recent reports suggest that Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, who previously served as Beats Music's creative director, is in charge of the project. Beats co-founder and music industry luminary Jimmy Iovine is said to be working to secure exclusive content for the service's launch, which has proven to be a successful strategy for iTunes in the past.