Apple's iTunes Radio Becomes Third Most Popular U.S. Music Streaming Service

[LagunaSol]

I had been using Slacker, but I'm enjoying iTunes radio. I will not renew Slacker in the fall.

I love Slacker but would be joining you if iTunes Radio wasn't still so buggy for me. It plays songs I've chosen to block. It plays the same songs repeatedly within a short span of time. Why do I hear Money for Nothing (which I love, don't get me wrong) almost every time I fire up the Classic Rock station? Surely there are enough songs in that catalog to prevent that obvious a repetition. Songs with explicit language slip past the filters (granted, this happens to me with Slacker as well).

Apple needs to polish up some of these basic functions before I can use iTunes Radio exclusively.

 

[cwwilson]

Another thing I've noticed is iTunes Radio likes to switch genres on you. I was listening to Phil Collins radio and all of sudden a hip hop song came on. Then it took on a whole new life from there as it kept playing junk instead of Collins and his contemporaries.

iTunes Radio has a long way to go if you ask me.

 

[Brittany246]

I don't know why Spotify isn't more popular. I think it's better than all of them. I use Spotify a majority of the time, and I use Pandora to discover new music. I haven't downloaded music in about 2 years.

 

[dragje]

What about Andere dienst, they are doing well!

You're right, but I don't think that with andere dienst (other services) they mean Pandora tough

 

[AppleWarMachine]

I switched from Pandora to iTunes Radio when they announced it, I like commercial free music

 

[Jamalmartinez]

Don't know if its just my phone, but when I use iTunes radio, seems to have a lot of commercials. (One after every song) is any one else experiencing this??

 

[disinfectant]

I don't get why Pandora and Spotify are so popular, they were innovators back then but they've been lagging behind - I'm surprised Rdio isn't even mentioned on that chart, too.

Rdio only just recently added internet radio. Before, you couldn't listen to anything without a subscription.

 

[HowEver]

I concur, although I do think Tune In Radio might be in a different category altogether.

That's pretty impressive, although id have thought tune in radio would have been higher...I personally love it

 

[adamj575]

Yeah that is true...kinda a diff thing

 

[ibis ghost]

I wish that Apple would release a SDK for iTunes Radio to be play on other equipment. I use it on my iPhone 5s and computer but I cannot get it on my Sonos equipment.

I think if they want to compete they need to have it available for other equipment.

 

[mdelvecchio]

As early founders of at least parts of the U.S, we expected and hoped for a bit more love from you people. Years and years go by, and the hope for a dutch speaking Siri, or the release of iRadio, are painfully absent.

dutch-speaking siri? it's hard enough to do voice synth, getting siri to sound like shes got a mouthful of marbles would be impossible! i kid, i kid...

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I honestly don't get the point of iTunes Radio. How is it different to Pandora and what does it do that other simplistic internet radios don't already offer?

who says it is different? it's the same as pandora, but it makes purchasing music from itunes much easier to me, the iOS-using listener. thats it. thats its job -- offer me pandora-like service w/ direct purchases to itunes. win for apple, win for me.

 

[Mike MA]

Create a US itunes account, problem solved.

Creating a workaround doesn't mean problem solved

 

[HowEver]

Just think how much the popularity of iTunes Radio is assisted by people outside of the US having US iTunes accounts to get it.

 

[Juanathan]

Iheartradio?? Never even heard of it!
What about Rdio??!

 

[Menel]

Iheartradio?? Never even heard of it!
What about Rdio??!

Clearchannel.

USA FM broadcast over IP.

 

[SamVilde]

Last.fm is the best $4 I spend every month. Whatever magic algorithms it uses kick the s*** out of Pandora and iTunes Radio. I put on the mix radio (mix of what they know I like and what they think I might like) and almost never skip a song. I have discovered many new favorite bands through Last. When I see lists like this I'm afraid their days are numbered.

 

[stiligFox]

While iTunes Radio has little in the way of features, I have to say it does all that I ever used Pandora and Spotify for -- and it's integrated nicely. I've stopped using other streaming services altogether.

As I said -- it does all I need it to. I can see where it would be very limiting for users that want more control or want something a bit smarter at finding songs.

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Don't know if its just my phone, but when I use iTunes radio, seems to have a lot of commercials. (One after every song) is any one else experiencing this??

I do get that sometimes! After every single song.

And then there's times it tries to play and ad but then ends up not playing one for literally hours. I guess they make up for each other

 

[WhackyNinja]

Im genuinely surprised iHeart Radio is bigger than Spotify

Google Play All-Access could do so much better if it was free with ads instead of a trial

 

[Lapidus]

Create a US itunes account, problem solved.

I do sometimes. But then it gets really messy with buying stuff etc.

 

[vandrook]

"Streaming"

Is pandora really that strong? I seem to see that everyone uses spotify. Thought spotify was much stronger in the numbers...

I think Spotify is down the list with their offline option. Their streaming traffic is less than half their actual use (guess). If this was overall experience Spotify takes the lead. for sure.

 

[Bawstun]

I have been a subscriber to both Pandora and Spotiify for years and I put them way ahead of iTunes Radio. There is no diversity on iTunes Radio and it consistently plays the same tracks over and over. I picked one particular "featured station" once and it literally played Song A followed by Song B and back to Song A and then back to Song B. Are you serious? If it's one thing that annoys me, it's when streaming music repeats tracks.

It just doesn't seem like iTunes has the library some other services have.

They don't; and neither does Pandora.

Because Spotify is an entirely different type of streaming-service, they have the largest database of songs. MILLIONS more tracks. It is a league all its own, and I ditched Pandora the moment Spotify hit the US. Love it. It's the future of music...

 

[DudeDad]

I love Slacker but would be joining you if iTunes Radio wasn't still so buggy for me. It plays songs I've chosen to block. It plays the same songs repeatedly within a short span of time. Why do I hear Money for Nothing (which I love, don't get me wrong) almost every time I fire up the Classic Rock station? Surely there are enough songs in that catalog to prevent that obvious a repetition. Songs with explicit language slip past the filters (granted, this happens to me with Slacker as well).

Apple needs to polish up some of these basic functions before I can use iTunes Radio exclusively.

I've been lucky in my experience...there is a slider to change from popular to discover...does that help? Also, did you fav Money for Nothing? If so, unfav it.