If you were hoping for a year free of making decisions on how you stream your music, keep hoping, because Apple’s latest musical maneuver, iTunes Radio, is about to drop, and there’s no telling who will take a bite. Due in autumn, with the new iOS 7 for the iPhone’s facelift, iTunes Radio features a platform similar to
Pandora but with the more-mobile convenience of Spotify and fused with the iTunes Store. The only question lingering is whether or not people will appreciate what they have, or will quickly disperse and join iTunes Radio. We offer pros and cons, along with a solid closing argument, but what do you think?
Free Service, Kinda
iTunes Radio is a free service, so already out of the gate, Apple has a majority of people’s attention and hearts won over (cue clap track). Spotify offers a free service, but it’s practically useless to mobile users unless they pay $10 per month for the premium version. And people dumb enough to upgrade their Pandora accounts to Pandora One (I’ve yet to meet one) will pay dearly for it ($48/year), which tells you something about Pandora’s future.
Nobody likes getting a good groove and dancing in the car to be disturbed by some turd burglar’s voice-over for a Nissan ad or some women telling you to change your brand of tampons. Even though the iTunes service is free at first, having this technology ads-free will cost you $29 per year (free, if you have iTunes Match, which is $24.99). While that might sicken some loyalists, you’re actually saving money with ads-free iTunes Radio but getting more than you would with Pandora.
Instant, Seamless and Convenient
iTunes Radio is a seamless transition for Pandora users. All it takes is a quick “X” on that app and it’ll be like Pandora never existed. Most heavy music listeners typically have iTunes already integrated into their computers, and many on their mobile devices as well. This is hurtful for Pandora, who basically offer the same service without being wirelessly synced to the iTunes Store, where buying a song you like on iTunes Radio is both possible and immediate, then runs across multiple devices.
Apple’s goal here is to find music you like effortlessly, practically tossing new songs they think you’ll like right in your lap. And based on your listening history within iTunes, the Genius option and their staff of music savvy (actual) human helpers, they’ve got all their grounds covered.
N’Sync
In addition to the mobile app, which will appear when you upgrade to iOS 7, you’ll find that iTunes Radio is synced to all your devices, including your computer, Apple TV and other mobile gear like iPods and iPads. That means if you pick up a station on one device, you can immediately switch to find yourself in the same place on another one. It’s like going to a party where there’s a bunch of food to stuff in your face; you never really know whether you’ll use a fork, spoon or your dirty hands, but you’ll eat it one way or another, and you appreciate not being interrupted. Think about that for a moment and equate it to listening to music. You can go from working on your computer to dropping a deuce in the boy’s room, then to the kitchen for a post-deuce reward snack without any interruptions in your music listening pleasure.
In addition, you can purchase it right off the radio instantly to your library, which is a capability people have unknowingly longed for since the dawn of music streaming.
It’s Just a Bunch of Radio Stations. However …
iTunes Radio isn’t meant to replace all music services, since it’s just 200 radio stations full of random music, unlike Spotify, which allows you to stream albums and create specific playlists. So if you’re expecting to get specific with iTunes Radio like you do on Spotify, prepare to be saddened. BUT, keep in mind that this is Apple’s first run at this mobile technology, and in time it’ll only get better.
Like most free music services, you can only skip so many songs, so none of the contestants come out ahead without paying a subscription fee. Although you can give the thumbs up or down to help pinpoint your musical taste, you still might have to listen to a bunch of Train songs before you can hear what you like.
No Offline
One of the biggest dampers, however, is iTunes Radio’s lack of offline streaming, unlike Spotify subscribers who can at least set up playlists offline. We have to assume this is probably something Apple will try to correct in time, but for now, no can do. If they fix this little bug and eventually allow users access to create playlists, that could very well be game, set and match for Spotify.
Siri Is a DJ
Let us not forget Siri, that sassy little tramp, who will takes requests like some overpriced nightclub filled with silky shirts and stud earrings. Only now, even in the privacy of your own home, Siri will be your own personal radio jockey when you feel a little too lazy to find your own music. She might even do a sexy dance for you, if you ask correctly (hold the button and enunciate your words clearly).
Closing Arguments
In the end, it really depends on how much you listen to music and how open you are to new music. If you have a specific taste for specific moods throughout your day, you’ll appreciate services like Spotify, which give you access to music you don’t have to purchase and can listen to just by searching. For people who like the Genius option of iTunes and want to get more music based on what they have already, iTunes Radio is the way to go. If anyone should be worried, it’s Pandora, since iTunes is more connected to your computer’s purchases and your mobile library already. Spotify has a good chance of continuing strongly, doing its own thing, as long as Apple doesn’t adopt similar methods.
Basically, iTunes Radio is immediately quicker, more convenient and free, so aside from a few hiccups, it’s a tremendous addition to Apple’s musical entourage with abilities to do more with our music than ever before.
