Apple inks deal with Sony for iRadio service
Apple has signed a deal with Sony Music to participate in the iRadio streaming music service the company is expected to announce Monday at its developers conference in San Francisco.
A source close to the negotiations independetly confirmed the deal on Friday, though terms were not disclosed. The deal had previously been reported by All Things D.
Apple has now signed up three major labels for its music streaming service, including Warner Music Group and Universal Music, whose deals were confirmed earlier this week.
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Apple has not signed a deal yet with Sony/ATV, the music publishing unit. Negotiations are continuing.
Still, it appears the company will be on track to unveil the service as planned.
Apple’s new streaming music service is expected to be a free, ad-based service that uses listeners’ preferences to tailor music selections, similar to Pandora.
Apple continues to dominate the sales of downloaded music through its iTunes store. But as gadgets such as smartphones and tablets become more powerful, and wireless networks become faster, consumers are increasingly comfortable using ad-based streaming services, and in some cases paying a subscription.
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