Rumor: Apple to Make Own Version of Pandora

By Jane McEntegart
published

Here's an interesting rumor to kick off your weekend: Apple is apparently working on a music service to rival Pandora.

We've been hearing the same Apple rumors for months: iPad Mini, iPhone 5, and Apple TV. However, it seems the Wall Street Journal is tossing some fresh meat on the barbeque with a new report that says Apple is working on a digital music service similar to Pandora.

The newspaper cites people familiar with the matter that say Cupertino is in talks to license music for a custom-radio service that would expand its dominance in digital beyond iTunes. One of the WSJ's sources says that Apple's service would run on the iPhone, iPad, Mac computers, and possibly PCs running Windows. Similar to iTunes, Android and devices running the mobile operating system would be left out in the cold.

Apple has proved it has what it takes in the digital music market with iTunes, which launched over ten years ago. While the company is apparently struggling to strike deals with cable and media companies for its rumored HDTV project, Apple might have an easier time talking to its iTunes partners about a service like this one. The Wall Street Journal's sources mentioned that this radio service would be ad supported (via Apple's own iAds) but ad-supported online radio is a tough nut to crack, and Pandora and Spotify have been on the scene for a while. The Wall Street Journal didn't mention any details regarding cost or subscriptions but we'll keep you posted.

Word on the street is that this service could launch within a few months. Check out the Wall Street Journal for the full scoop.

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Jane McEntegart
18 Comments Comment from the forums
  • DRosencraft
    Logical next step, but I don't see it working out. Anyone who has iTunes already probably won't shell out money for a custom radio service. ITunes already has an imbedded radio service that plays a wide assortment of internet radio stations. It's not custom radio, but still, how much ground will they gain with something like this? Then again, Apple has had a habit of selling big on ideas that aren't too great, so we'll see. Know I won't be buying.
    Reply
  • boogalooelectric
    Nope, and doesn't Pandora leak money like a sieve? Why follow a failing model? Unless of course they do as they always do and claim they invented such a service which is quite possible. Then I can see people switching over from Pandora and IheartRadio etc. etc. because they perceive it to be original and cool.

    Also most bands stream their music for free now to curb piracy so I do not see the need for this OR Pandora and other services either for that matter.
    Reply
  • seels
    Everything Apple makes turns to gold. This would be a real hit with the entire world. No wonder everyone just copies their inventions and innovation on new products (like....Samsung maybe?). Apple needs to be able to accomplish their goals without the likes of those losers stealing their inventions like this amazing one they'll come out with. I know I'm sold.
    Reply
  • amk-aka-Phantom
    You guys have no idea how stupid people get. I have a few friends who're stupid enough to actually set up a US proxy so that they can listen to stuff on Pandora instead of pirating it, buying and downloading it locally or listening to it on YouTube. Explanation? "You don't have to setup a playlist", "it has all the music I like" and other similar crap. *throws desk*

    Oh, and they're all Mac users. Coincidence? I think not. Apple will see good profits from this nonsense.
    Reply
  • classzero
    Tom's Hardware; Your Rumor Headquarters.
    Reply
  • zubikov
    amk-aka-PhantomYou guys have no idea how stupid people get. I have a few friends who're stupid enough to actually set up a US proxy so that they can listen to stuff on Pandora instead of pirating it, buying and downloading it locally or listening to it on YouTube. Explanation? "You don't have to setup a playlist", "it has all the music I like" and other similar crap. *throws desk*Oh, and they're all Mac users. Coincidence? I think not. Apple will see good profits from this nonsense.
    You, of course, are the only person on this earth who knows better. All of those tens of millions Apple/Pandora customers with high disposable incomes actually using & helping improve the services are just a bunch of idiot sheep who are all wrong. Right?
    Reply
  • zubikov
    Apple has rights to more music than any other online distribution service. It can work in large volumes of tracks and more recent tracks than can Pandora or Spotify. If you fuse Pandora's matching algorithms with Apple's content it can become an awesome streaming service.

    Also, Apple is clearly shaking in its boots as Pandora and Spotify are eating its lunch. At the end of the day, more competition = cheaper, better selection of streaming music for us!
    Reply
  • CaedenV
    DRosencraftLogical next step, but I don't see it working out. Anyone who has iTunes already probably won't shell out money for a custom radio service. ITunes already has an imbedded radio service that plays a wide assortment of internet radio stations. It's not custom radio, but still, how much ground will they gain with something like this? Then again, Apple has had a habit of selling big on ideas that aren't too great, so we'll see. Know I won't be buying.But when you hear a song you don't like you cannot thumb down a song on live radio and move on to the next one like you can with a service like Pandora. I have a handful of Pandora stations that I absolutely love. Over the last 2 years I have been using it I have my stations playing all songs that I really like, and with adblock plus I don't even get commercials with it most of the time. Way better than any radio station I have ever heard.
    Reply
  • bllue
    DRosencraft Apple has had a habit of selling big on ideas that aren't too great, so we'll see.Nah. It's just the iSheep who gobble anything Apple, it could be a turd named the iTurd and they would still pay premium
    Reply
  • twztechman
    Lawsuit!! Sound like Pandora should sue the pants off Apple if this goes thru. After all - it's what Apple would do!
    Reply