iTunes Radio is a music streaming service that Apple offers. I love it. iTunes Radio is now available to music fans. It’s is a free radio service featuring over 100 stations and an incredible catalogue of music from the iTunes Store. It is combined with features only iTunes can deliver.
This is an article you can find everything you need to know about iTunes Radio. While you are reading this article, I recommend you open iTunes on your screen and follow our guide.
Where is iTunes Radio?
Open iTunes, click on Library also call Music, it’s the top icon on the left bar, then click on Radio.
How Does iTunes Radio Work?
- The top banner: ‘Featured Stations’: New releases artist (which are not yet on iTunes), iTunes Hits, Hot Alternative, Love Songs, 80’s music, Workout, Classical, Trends, and the ‘oldies’ which are the most listened on iTunes. Just click on one to listen.
- The second banner is ‘My Stations’ with the + sign – it’s your own custom selection of music stations, for example, select ‘New Artists’ thumbnail and drag to your My Station, click on it to start listening to music. One of my favourite channels is called Unwind. Think cool songs which are perfect for working with music without disturbing your colleagues.
- You can listen to all stations for free.
- If you’ve changed your mind and you don’t want one station anymore (in My Stations area), simply right click on the image and select delete.
My Music Stations
1. You see the + sign? Click on it and wait, all the music genre will come as images, let’s say you like Blues Music, click on the Blues Thumbnail, you will see a drop down with different style of blues then you can add ‘Blues Rock’ by clicking on add on the right, the Station Blues Rock Radio will be added to ‘My Stations’
2. You can of course look for an Artist, song or genre, by typing the name you are looking for. (pic 3)
3. Music is about sharing, still on Blues Rock Radio, you can right click and the share options will pop out, pick yours. Pretty cool.
4. Under the station, you have a scroll bar option, move the button on what your preferences are: Hits, Variety and Discovery
5. If you really like a song, you have the option to buy it, when it’s playing you can see the song at the top window with the price, just click on it and enter your iTunes username and password.
6. The Star sign on top left, give you the option to pause the song or to forward – You can command as well from you keyboard.
7. If you want more song in the same style, click on the star and select: Play More Like This, or Never Play This Song or Add to Itunes Wish List.
8. You can preview your wish list on the right icon.
9. The other option you have, when you’ve created your own Stations, you can right click on the song on the little arrow and create just a station for one artist.
10. When you’ve create your own stations – click on the bottom name and you rename it. e.g: Music for cycling.
The music you are going to love
The more you listen to music on iTunes Radio and the more stations you favourite. The app will learn your music preferences and it can change the way you listen to music.
When you tune into iTunes Radio on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, PC or Apple TV, you’ll have access to stations inspired by the music you already listen to, Featured Stations curated by Apple and genre-focused stations that are personalised just for you. iTunes Radio evolves based on the music you play and download. The more you use iTunes Radio and iTunes, the more it knows what you like to listen to and the more personalised your experience becomes. iTunes Radio also gives you access to exclusive “First Play” premieres from top-selling artists, plus the ability to tag or buy anything you hear with just one click.
Storage
iTunes Radio is completely ad-free when you subscribe to iTunes Match. iTunes Match stores all your music in iCloud — even songs you’ve imported from CDs or purchased somewhere other than iTunes. So iTunes Radio can use your entire music collection to make your stations even more personalized.
iTunes Radio is Freedom
Whatever your music tastes are, if you are going for a run, or you are having friends for a dinner, you have total control over the genre, artist, songs you’re listening to. You can just let it play non-stop music. It’s a lot of fun and hours of new music. This is officially my new toy! I hope I covered the main options and services of iTunes Radio. I’ve only played with it for the last 2 days but if you have more options. Please share it and have fun!
Images: Apple and my iTunes screenshots.