Apple Ending Ad-Supported iTunes Radio Stations at End of January

[HiVolt]

Can't lose what we didn't have in Canada...

Sucks for those who did use it, paid or ad-supported...

181.fm works for me. lots of variety.
[doublepost=1452913563][/doublepost]Oh, and I agree. Beats 1 is absolute garbage for those that don't like the rap/hiphop stuff.

If they would come up with maybe 5 total stations with some more variety of genres, i could give it a try. But Beats 1 is absolute crap.

 

[Rigby]

This is a pretty bad move for those who have iTunes Match. It was a nice bonus to be able to listen to radio stations with no ads. Now theres no bonus.

It's not just a bonus, it's an advertised feature. Apple's Match page says right now: "Subscribe to iTunes Match on your Mac, PC, or iOS device, and listen to on-demand music stations without ads. Subscribe for just $24.99 a year"

Those using iTunes Match might as well use Google music since it's free.

And ironically this free service includes radio stations too.

 

[powerbook911]

This is disappointing to hear. The iTunes radio stations were convenient, nice on the Apple TV as well. This is a pretty significant feature to take away especially to take it away from paying iTunes Match customers. Don't like that decision!

 

[Mosi]

It's not just a bonus, it's an advertised feature. Apple's Match page says right now: "Subscribe to iTunes Match on your Mac, PC, or iOS device, and listen to on-demand music stations without ads. Subscribe for just $24.99 a year"
And ironically this free service includes radio stations too.

I am still looking for some clarity on how this impacts iTunes Match subscribers. The email says that Ad supported iTunes Radio was going away but iTunes Match subscribers get Ad Free iTunes Radio. It is possible that Apple continues to allow iTunes Match subscribers a way to access iTunes Radio without an Apple Music subscription.

I reached out to online chat and predictably they had no information. I sent an email to iTunes support and waiting to hear back.

 

[Frankied22]

It's not just a bonus, it's an advertised feature. Apple's Match page says right now: "Subscribe to iTunes Match on your Mac, PC, or iOS device, and listen to on-demand music stations without ads. Subscribe for just $24.99 a year"
And ironically this free service includes radio stations too.

I feel like this is the first step towards phasing out iTunes Match. Apple wants more to sign up for apple music.

 

[blakethebeast10]

I use iTunes Radio all of the time. Very disappointed to hear about this, as Beats 1 just doesn't seem to play the sort of music I'm interested in hearing.

Also, one of the main reasons I subscribed to iTunes Match was so I could listen to iTunes Radio ad-free. I don't consider that a "perk," but rather an integral part of the Match service.

The key is finding the right show that fits your tastes. I don't like most of it but there are three shows that I love and listen to often.
[doublepost=1452915369][/doublepost]

I have zero interest in subscribing to their Beats service

Likewise, very disappointing news here. I'm really losing respect for Tim Cook.

Beats 1 is a free radio station that does not need a subscription. Perhaps you mean Apple Music?
[doublepost=1452915529][/doublepost]

Ditto, I listened to Beats 1 for about 30 secs once, that was about enough for me. Back to Spotify full time as of Feb.

You can't judge an entire radio station with 20+ hosts based off of 30 seconds of listening. The station changes dramatically depending on whose show it is.

 

[Rigby]

I feel like this is the first step towards phasing out iTunes Match. Apple wants more to sign up for apple music.

Well, if that's the case, they'll lose not just a Match subscriber but also a longtime iTunes user. The main reason why I use Match is that it conveniently integrates with iTunes which I use for library management and playback on my computers. If they devalue Match or stop offering it altogether, I can just as well manage my library with Foobar 2K and use Google Play or Onedrive+Groove for free to make my music accessible in the cloud. I'm not very happy with the direction that iTunes took in the recent versions anyway.

 

[GhostRaider]

Beats 1? Honestly I don't even touch the built in Music app on iOS lol Go Spotify!

 

[iDuel]

This is very unfortunate. I don't really get Apple's thinking on this one. It seemed to me the best way to promote iTunes sales with free ad-supported radio.

 

[KiwiAdventure]

"Australia January 29, while U.S. customers are receiving emails that suggest it will no longer be available as of January 28" Is the same day so Apple will be closing everywhere around the world on the same day.

I don't listen to much music, definitely not worth an Apple Music subscription. Beats 1 music is horrible so goodbye to Apple match.

 

[Juicy Box]

What, you don't like hip hop? What other kind of music is there?

Music that doesn't suck.

 

[npmacuser5]

I am still looking for some clarity on how this impacts iTunes Match subscribers. The email says that Ad supported iTunes Radio was going away but iTunes Match subscribers get Ad Free iTunes Radio. It is possible that Apple continues to allow iTunes Match subscribers a way to access iTunes Radio without an Apple Music subscription.

I reached out to online chat and predictably they had no information. I sent an email to iTunes support and waiting to hear back.

In this article "Customers who listen to radio stations sans ads with an iTunes Match subscription are also receiving the emails and will no longer be able to listen to radio stations as an iTunes Match perk."
Looks like Apple is closing down this radio option. Might be that most of the $24.99 goes to the music industry. Force the issue maybe.

 

[Juicy Box]

So just like that, they are removing a feature that iTunes Match subscribers paid for? Nice going, Apple. The chances of me joining Apple Music just went from slim to zero, and perhaps I'll cancel iTunes Match too.

I might cancel my iTunes Match also. Now that iTunes radio is gone, which I loved until Apple Music came out, there is little reason for me to keep iTunes Match.

I use iTunes Match since it came out, and did not have any issues with until a few months ago. All my iTunes Match music disappeared, music that I have been collecting for decades, gone.

After talking to Apple support, they informed me that I never had any music on iTunes Match. Which, was silly considering I was using it for years.

Luckily, I had almost all of it backed up.
[doublepost=1452917744][/doublepost]

Beats 1 music is horrible so goodbye to Apple match.

iTunes Radio suffered when Apple Music came out too.

A bunch of the featured stations on iTunes Radio disappeared when Apple Music came out.

One example was 90's Alternative station. It disappeared from my history.

Now, if you try to find it, the only station that comes up is "The Gay 90's". Which is a very strange station. I listen to it a few times, and I never heard of any of those songs.

 

[KidPub]

The key is finding the right show that fits your tastes. I don't like most of it but there are three shows that I love and listen to often.
[doublepost=1452915369][/doublepost]
Beats 1 is a free radio station that does not need a subscription. Perhaps you mean Apple Music?
[doublepost=1452915529][/doublepost]
You can't judge an entire radio station with 20+ hosts based off of 30 seconds of listening. The station changes dramatically depending on whose show it is.

I've tuned in many times over the past few months at relatively random times of the day...it's always some hip-hop wannabe playing crap.

P

 

[maxsix]

Pandora has served me well for years.
But I did try Apple Music for a week, gave up due to a very awkward UI. Better off avoiding Apple Services till they are improved.

 

[Mr. Chewbacca]

I paid for iTunes Match solely to listen to iTunes Radio ad-free. And because of iTunes Radio, I have found new artists whose albums I've then gone ahead and purchased on iTunes. That will no longer happen.

Not cool, Apple.

Exactly... this! I just paid for 2 match subscriptions almost completely because of the radio option. I'm sure if I was willing to take the time I could get a refund but I'm still disappointed.

 

[Bromeo]

The email states the free ad-supported iTunes Radio stations will be ending. The free ad-supported (more sponsored) Beats 1 station is continuing. Apple Music is continuing.

Presumably the genre stations formerly known as iTunes Radio will still exist for paid Apple Music subscribers alongside Beats 1 as they are today.

If remains to be seen if the ad-free iTunes Radio genre stations that are a perk of an iTunes Match subscription also go away.

 

[naeS1Sean]

Greedy…

 

[2457282]

Well Tim, you kind of blew on this one. I mean, I understand the desire to get everyone on Apple Musica and all, but do you understand that not everyone wants to consume that way? I don't! I like listening to the radio channels to hear new music and if I liked it I will buy it. Ther are many others that prefer to own. I guess now that is no longer an option and you just killed what was left of iTunes. Really disappointed.

 

[Juicy Box]

I guess now that is no longer an option and you just killed what was left of iTunes. Really disappointed.

I don't want to speak of the coming "doom" of Apple, because I think they will be around for awhile. But, things like this make me question my continued support of Apple.

I have many Apple products, and have used many of their services, but lately, sometimes I feel like the people in charge at Apple wants us to hate them.

 

[theonekcrow]

Ditto, I listened to Beats 1 for about 30 secs once, that was about enough for me. Back to Spotify full time as of Feb.

This sucks! I'd like Beats 1 more if they didn't play so much rap...

 

[wikiverse]

I paid for iTunes Match solely to listen to iTunes Radio ad-free. And because of iTunes Radio, I have found new artists whose albums I've then gone ahead and purchased on iTunes. That will no longer happen.

Not cool, Apple.

"We unapologetically take away your features."

I'll pay for SiriusXM before I pay for Apple Music. I mean it.

I listen to iTunes Radio and I put up with the repeats and the terrible glitchy software because it was free with the occasional ad. But I genuinely don't think Apple provided a good enough experience to justify paying anything for the service.

I think I'll switch over to Spotify or Panodora.
[doublepost=1452920701][/doublepost]

I don't want to speak of the coming "doom" of Apple, because I think they will be around for awhile. But, things like this make me question my continued support of Apple.

I have many Apple products, and have used many of their services, but lately, sometimes I feel like the people in charge at Apple wants us to hate them.

This is how everyone felt when Apple abandoned Final Cut Studio - professional editing software that had 53% of the market - in favour of iMovie Pro. 6 years later and they still haven't re-introduced the professional features that they stripped away.

They also dropped MobileMe and made a mess of iWork.

 

[oldmacs]

One of the worst parts of this is with the Apple TV 3. Apple can't be bothered to update it to work with Apple Music, leaving people with iTunes Radio, yet unless they have Apple music, they won't be able to use that -_-

 

[Dingerz]

Man, the whole lot of you who sit here are narrow minded. Beats 1 is not just hip hop. I've tuned in many times randomly to hear neat shows by Ellie Golding, Josh Homme, and many famous DJ's in the electronic scene. It's pathetic to see so much whining when it shows how much you hate something you have barely tried. If you think Beats 1 is only hip hop, you don't know the programming. They keep past shows in Apple Music so you don't have to bitch about missing your fav genres because the shows are on at times inconvenient to you. The Josh Homme show was playing bizarre music I had never heard and some was pretty neat - and it was a million miles away from hip hop. It reminded me of the old radio days when banter in between songs was interesting.

So you go back to your ad infested radio stations, enjoy them. I'd rather PAY PAY PAY to not listen to ad CRAP and to be introduced to music outside of my known musical spectrum. Not everyone is into that I guess.

 

[oldmacs]

Man, the whole lot of you who sit here are narrow minded. Beats 1 is not just hip hop. I've tuned in many times randomly to hear neat shows by Ellie Golding, Josh Homme, and many famous DJ's in the electronic scene. It's pathetic to see so much whining when it shows how much you hate something you have barely tried. If you think Beats 1 is only hip hop, you don't know the programming. They keep past shows in Apple Music so you don't have to bitch about missing your fav genres because the shows are on at times inconvenient to you. The Josh Homme show was playing bizarre music I had never heard and some was pretty neat - and it was a million miles away from hip hop. It reminded me of the old radio days when banter in between songs was interesting.

So you go back to your ad infested radio stations, enjoy them. I'd rather PAY PAY PAY to not listen to ad CRAP and to be introduced to music outside of my known musical spectrum. Not everyone is into that I guess.

I've tried Beats 1 on numerous occasions and only occasionally found something I've enjoyed, compared to iTunes radio where you get music in genres you like mixed with songs you may never have heard, with the ability to skip forwards if you don't like a song. Beats 1 does not compare to that at all.