Before Apple launched iTunes Radio, word on the street was that the company was working on a Pandora killer. iTunes Radio was launched late last year and it has grown substantially since then. If latest rumors are true, Apple may be turning its focus towards an on-demand streaming service. That would essentially be an Apple Spotify rival, and apparently the company has already opened up “exploratory talks” with senior music label executives.
According to a new report by Billboard, Apple is also considering launch an iTunes app for Android. Its no secret that Google’s mobile platform is growing faster globally than iOS, and opening iTunes up to it could see the store’s sales climbing back up again. Nielsen’s data shows that so far this year, U.S. digital album sales on iTunes have dipped 13 percent for week ended March 9th, while digital track sales are down 11 percent from 2013.
The difference between iTunes Radio and Apple’s rumored on-demand streaming service would be that users will have more control. iTunes Radio can be used for free, albeit it is ad-supported and users have very limited control over the music, for example there’s a certain number of songs that they can skip per hour. An on-demand service, which would most probably require subscription, would offer greater control as well as an ad-free experience.
A spokesman for the company declined to comment on the talks when contacted by the scribe. According to sources, the talks at still at a “very early stage,” so its possible that Apple may end up not pursuing this at all. But if it does, there is a possibility that we might hear about it at Worldwide Developers Conference 2014, where Apple is due to unveil iOS 8.
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