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iTunes Radio May Be Coming Soon to Canada
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I feel like Apple is really behind the curve here. Don't get me wrong. I love Apple and their products, and with their customizable stations I'll bet they give Pandora a run for their money. But just to match today's curve, they'd need to come out with something like Spotify.
You know, when I listen to Spotify's radio service, I barely listen to it for more than 15 or 20 minutes at a time.
But not because it's a bad service.
But because it's an expansive, almost revolutionary service.
You see, within 15 or 20 minutes I usually stumble across a song from an artist that I simply want to hear more of RIGHT NOW.
I can't listen to more of that music RIGHT NOW on iRadio or Pandora. I'd have to go buy it on iTunes or Amazon or wherever.
But with Spotify, I don't have to buy anything and with a couple taps I'm listening to the entire album, almost immediately and I don't have to pay extra to do it.
It's free.
And then I make a playlist of their album, and it's right there. My list of playlists is HUGE. I've mirrored almost all of my iTunes favorites into Spotify as Spotify playlists. I've almost doubled that with all the new music I've discovered on Spotify, using Spotify Radio and whatever discoveries I make.
I say all this not to denigrate those who love and prefer services like iRadio and Pandora. Good on you. I say this because sometimes I don't think everyone realizes yet the sheer discovery power of Spotify's service.
Its free plan is, well, free. Its most expensive plan is less than the cost of one CD on iTunes or Amazon.
You know, when I listen to Spotify's radio service, I barely listen to it for more than 15 or 20 minutes at a time.
But not because it's a bad service.
But because it's an expansive, almost revolutionary service.
You see, within 15 or 20 minutes I usually stumble across a song from an artist that I simply want to hear more of RIGHT NOW.
I can't listen to more of that music RIGHT NOW on iRadio or Pandora. I'd have to go buy it on iTunes or Amazon or wherever.
But with Spotify, I don't have to buy anything and with a couple taps I'm listening to the entire album, almost immediately and I don't have to pay extra to do it.
It's free.
And then I make a playlist of their album, and it's right there. My list of playlists is HUGE. I've mirrored almost all of my iTunes favorites into Spotify as Spotify playlists. I've almost doubled that with all the new music I've discovered on Spotify, using Spotify Radio and whatever discoveries I make.
I say all this not to denigrate those who love and prefer services like iRadio and Pandora. Good on you. I say this because sometimes I don't think everyone realizes yet the sheer discovery power of Spotify's service.
Its free plan is, well, free. Its most expensive plan is less than the cost of one CD on iTunes or Amazon.
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you can set up an american account without a credit card. you will need a credit card or at least an itunes gift card which is available on ebay if you want to buy something.
You can do it on the iOS device as well. If you press the i icon at the top of the Now Playing screen, it has the slider for preferences.
Yes .. that only "plus" is the main reason to like a streaming radio service.
Huge collection of iTunes, streamed at high quality for free while you can create your own playlist/station. You also can purchase the music you really like by single click.
Oh and it's integrated into iOS along with iTunes Match.
All of them combined = machine gun slaughtering for the competition.
I have to say, being a internet radio broadcaster, and having paid professional music services, I am excited to see iTunes Radio here in Canada.
I hope that the CRTC does not intervene in the rollout of this service. They have to realize that consumers have other options, and they have to realize that in this modern-day world you cannot push Canadian content that is somewhat mediocre to have repetitive airplay.
Let me ask everyone outside of Canada a valid question. Have you ever heard Headley, Mariana's Trench, Sean Desman, Sam Roberts, or Sarah Brightman on American or UK Top 40 radio? I believe most people will answer that they have not.
I think that artists that come out of Canada, if they have valid talent, they will be heard on Canadian, American and worldwide radio.
When this rolls out here, I will be significantly enticed to get iTunes Match just to have ad-free iTunes Radio... and if it's really good, consider buying a future iPhone with a less capacity than I currently have (64GB)
I hope that the CRTC does not intervene in the rollout of this service. They have to realize that consumers have other options, and they have to realize that in this modern-day world you cannot push Canadian content that is somewhat mediocre to have repetitive airplay.
Let me ask everyone outside of Canada a valid question. Have you ever heard Headley, Mariana's Trench, Sean Desman, Sam Roberts, or Sarah Brightman on American or UK Top 40 radio? I believe most people will answer that they have not.
I think that artists that come out of Canada, if they have valid talent, they will be heard on Canadian, American and worldwide radio.
When this rolls out here, I will be significantly enticed to get iTunes Match just to have ad-free iTunes Radio... and if it's really good, consider buying a future iPhone with a less capacity than I currently have (64GB)
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Hah, comment deleted. I don't think iGrip uses a single Apple product and is just here to be annoying most of the time.
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It's built into iTunes and iOS and has better quality than Pandora at least. I didn't use any of those streaming services at all until iRadio came out because I want to be able to just have my iPhone play it in the car without hassle. It also probably has a relatively large music selection and logically would be based on data collected through iTunes.
well, CRTC stayed out of messing with Netflix so far despite pressure from the cable companies. so I sure hope they don't start twitching now because of itunes radio. but even if they do impose some Canadian content requirements I don't think it will matter very much with a highly customizable service like itunes radio.
Yes they did say that, but a few weeks ago CBC was doing a story on it, and the chair did say eventually in time if things progress they will be having a say on Netflix content so that makes me unsure.
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You call it a "plus" when music can be bought by a single click?
"machine gun slaughtering", I always like a good joke. It only will be if Apple adds an on demand service like Spotify and Google.
I've read dozens of reviews about "itunes Radio - Spotify - Google - Pandora" and almost all the reviewers come to the conclusion that itunes radio is just "another Pandora".
Created US iTunes account. Open iTunes as root, use that ID and all problems are solved for now.
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Spotify is running on an unsustainable business model.
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Spotify is running on an unsustainable business model.
Why do I need another swipe up when I'm already at iTunes? It should be there by default.
Perhaps, show me some of that in this thread, though? I was commenting on the "who cares, Apple is American" idiocy.
I pretty much ignored iTunes radio when it was announced because of the lack of launch availability in Canada. Now that it appears as if it is coming to Canada 'soonish', I took a closer look.
I've got iTunes match, so no ads, but I do have questions;
1) Six skips per station per hour, correct? If I reach 6 skips (which quite frankly I think would happen with the first 6 songs), can I create another identical station, or no?
2) How often are current iRadio users finding that it repeats songs?
3) I know you can tell it never to play this song again, and I've heard it does not always adhere to this; can I tell iRadio to never play an artist, album or genre?
I stopped listening to music radio ~1990. Just didn't like the programming (repetitiveness), DJ's, endless contests, ads and lack of music *I* liked. What advantages do current iRadio users find that it has over terrestrial radio? Or am I setting myself up for disappointment?
thanks for any thoughts.
Tom
I've got iTunes match, so no ads, but I do have questions;
1) Six skips per station per hour, correct? If I reach 6 skips (which quite frankly I think would happen with the first 6 songs), can I create another identical station, or no?
2) How often are current iRadio users finding that it repeats songs?
3) I know you can tell it never to play this song again, and I've heard it does not always adhere to this; can I tell iRadio to never play an artist, album or genre?
I stopped listening to music radio ~1990. Just didn't like the programming (repetitiveness), DJ's, endless contests, ads and lack of music *I* liked. What advantages do current iRadio users find that it has over terrestrial radio? Or am I setting myself up for disappointment?
thanks for any thoughts.
Tom