iTunes Radio UK launch date looking closer than ever
Apple appears to be working on bringing its iTunes Radio service to the UK, with ad executives meeting with the company ahead of launch
Apple may be planning on launching its iTunes Radio music streaming service in the UK, according to tweets from media agency representatives. The company’s director of iAd, the mobile advertising platform designed specifically for the iPhone, iPad and iPod, has reportedly been meeting with agencies to explain both systems, suggesting a UK launch can’t be far away.
Paul Wright, a director for iAd in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, is currently based in London. According to the above tweet, he has been meeting with the OMD media agency to explain how iAd works in relation to iTunes Radio. If accurate, it could mean iTunes Radio is on the way.
A report from Bloomberg last year suggested Apple had earmarked iTunes Radio for a UK launch in “early 2014”, having only expanded outside the US to Australia at the time of writing, and last week streaming music rival Bloom.fm revealed it had been blocked from taking out iAds because it was “”a competitive service to iTunes Radio and it is against Apple policy”.
iTunes Radio is a free streaming service, but unless you pay the $25 annual iTunes Match fee your music is interspersed with audio and display ads Apple sells through the iAd platform. Should it arrive in the UK, it would compete directly with the likes of Spotify and Google Play Music All Access.
As is standard practice for Apple, the company refused to comment on unannounced products or services. We’ll just have to wait until the company makes it official to find out if the UK is in line to receive iTunes Radio after all.