Submitted by Frank Macey on
Big changes are coming to streaming music at Apple this month. As of January 28, the only free streaming music channel available from Apple will be Beats 1. The company plans to remove ad-supported iTunes Radio channels, bringing them into the Apple Music fold instead. In two weeks, the free channels will only be available with an Apple Music subscription.
The shift away from an advertising-supported streaming model comes as Apple has announced plans to discontinue its iAd App Network. The move could boost Apple Music subscriptions, which are reported to have reached 10 million in just six months. Apple plans to incorporate the iTunes Radio stations into Apple Music as a new feature. In addition to Beats 1, Apple Music subscribers can enjoy dozens of commercial-free radio stations with unlimited skips, or make personalized radio stations based on music preferences.
iTunes Radio isn't the only change coming to streaming music at Apple. Legacy Beats Music members are running out of time to migrate their content to Apple Music. Beats Music content will expire completely on January 19th, the deadline for moving accounts over to the new service.
iTunes Radio first launched in late 2013 with the debut of iOS 7. Apple Music was announced in June 2015, with subscriptions starting at $9.99 per month. New users can try the service for three months free.