Apple Music is shutting down its ad-supported radio as of January 28, pushing Beats 1 as the premier free “broadcast” for Apple. Apple sent the news out in an email to subscribers and free listeners today.
You’ll still be able to listen to all the Apple Music radio as an Apple Music member, but not as a free listener.
Radio is a tab in iTunes under the Music section; you’ll see various radio stations curated by Apple Music’s editors that let you listen commercial-free and with unlimited skips if you’re an Apple Music member. You can even create your own stations based on your favorite songs and artists, like Pandora or Spotify.
The three-month trial is still in effect for those not yet Apple Music members, so if you haven’t paid up, now might be the time so you can continue to listen to the radio stations you love, like Pure Pop, Americana, or Electronic Pioneers radio.
Beats 1 will continue to be the free tier of Apple Music, letting you hear music and culture as curated by Djs like Zane Lowe and special guests like Dr. Dre, Drake, Pharrell, and more.
No mention of the old iTunes-style internet radio stations, which seem to still be in iTunes to the far right of all the content options, though.
