Apple Radio?

With Apple ready to release the iPhone 5 (or whatever it's called) this Wednesday, speculation about the company's future plans has reached Batshit Defcon 1.  Of particular interest to the broadcast industry is Apple's quiet negotiations leading up to the launch of some kind of streaming music search to augment (and eventually replace) iTunes.

Consultant Fred Jacobs has something to say about all this.

So the big buzz in radio late last week was this rumor that Apple is moving to get into the streaming radio business. Whether this happens with the release of the iPhone 5, it occurs later in the year, or never at all, shouldn’t change the game for traditional radio broadcasters.

Here’s why…

Pandora has clearly done something very special in the pure-play universe, vaulting ahead of its competition, going public, and aggressively hiring radio reps who can monetize its service.

And along the way, new competition has popped up – with interesting differences and angles – all in an effort to be similar but different from Pandora. Spotify, Songza, and now perhaps, Apple Radio, see a great market for streaming radio, selling music, and taking advantage of all those ear buds, computer speakers, and car dashboards that will connect consumers to their favorite music.

Read the full post.