Most consumers still using the three-month free trial of Apple Music say they are likely to continue paying for a subscription after the period ends, new survey data shows, though a significant portion may have dropped off soon after trying the service.
Apple Music so far isn't — and probably won't be — a meaningful threat to Pandora, the latter company's CEO told analysts during a conference call announcing better-than-expected quarterly financials.
Starting Tuesday, some users of popular streaming radio app Pandora began seeing a beta preview of a new user interface on their iPhone. Plus, American Express cardholders can now view their account information using Touch ID.
The U.S. Justice Department is in the process of deciding whether to revise the laws regarding music royalty rates — changes that could have an effect on Apple's streaming music offerings Beats Music and iTunes Radio.
Apple's mobile advertising efforts are expected to increase this year, when the company is reportedly planning to have locally targeted ads air on iTunes Radio, and will also begin promoting iTunes content through its own iAd network.
Facing significant declines in digital music sales, Apple is reportedly plotting a potential overhaul of its iTunes Music Store, in addition to considering new revenue opportunities through on-demand streaming and even allegedly an iTunes for Android.
Internet radio service Pandora is heavily dependent on Apple hardware, with about 40 percent of listeners accessing the service through an Apple device. And yet the launch of Apple's competing iTunes Radio last September has not stopped Pandora from continuing to grow.
Apple's iTunes Radio has carved out 8 percent of the U.S. streaming music market, placing it ahead of popular service Spotify and just behind second-place iHeart Radio, according to newly released data.
A survey of more than 800 iOS device owners shows that of those who have tried Apple's new iTunes Radio, the vast majority have either returned to Pandora exclusively or continue to use the streaming service alongside Apple's offering.
In a Monday interview, Pandora finance chief Mike Herring talked about the impact Apple's recently-released iTunes Radio will have on rival internet radio services and iTunes's effect on the wider music industry.
The launch of iOS 7 has seen major apps pushing out updates in order to bring their services in line with the new look of Apple's operating system, with Pandora, Gmail, and Amazon's Kindle App all issuing updates on Wednesday.
As Apple prepares to launch its iTunes Radio service for iOS 7, Mac and PC, popular Internet radio service Pandora is making moves to ensure that the iPhone maker doesn't crowd it out of the segment.
Apple's long-awaited "iRadio" is now an official service under the name iTunes Radio, available to test by developers who have access to the iOS 7 beta.
On Wednesday, Google introduced its long-anticipated Spotify competitor: Google Play Music All Access, a "uniquely Google approach" to subscription music service.
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Sam Oliver
Roger Fingas
AppleInsider Staff
Neil Hughes
Shane Cole
Kevin Bostic
