It's certainly been a while since we've heard any major rumblings about Apple's rumored streaming radio service, but that's changed today with the emergence of a new report that claims that a launch may not be far off. In an article on the music industry and streaming services like Pandora, The Verge says that it's been told by "multiple music industry insiders" that Apple has made substantial progress in its talks with the Universal and Warner music labels, adding that the Cupertino firm is working to get its streaming radio service ready for a summertime debut. "iRadio is coming. There's no doubt about it anymore," one source said.
We first got wind of Apple's streaming radio service late in 2012, with reports claiming that the Pandora-like offering will offer more user interactivity than other services. Of course, Apple isn't the only major company that's rumored to be cooking up a music streaming service, as recent reports have suggested that Google is working on its own service that could arrive in Q3 2013. Both Apple and Google are already selling music to consumers as well as video, books, magazines and apps, and so it looks like streaming music could be the next arena that the two firms enter. That's not a shock given the rise in popularity of services like Pandora, Spotify and Rdio in recent years. What will be interesting is seeing how Apple and Google's offerings (if they do indeed come to market) differ from existing services. What would a streaming service from Apple or Google need to have in order to convince you to sign up?
Via The Verge
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