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Apple drops ads from iTunes radio service as it moves it behind Apple Music paywall

itunes radio

iTunes Radio: moving behind the paywall.

Apple is set to drop ads from its iTunes Radio service in Australia and hit customers with a $10-per-month charge from January 29, as it seeks to ramp up its paid music offering.

The shakeup affects customers in both the US and Australia and comes days after Apple announced it would relinquish control of the iAd platform and allow publishers to handle the management of their own advertising.

The move leaves Beats 1 as the only radio service on the Apple platform that does not require an Apple Music subscription.

In a statement the company said: “For listeners of ad-supported Apple Music Radio, available only in the US and Australia, we are making Beats 1 the premier free broadcast from Apple and phasing out the ad-supported stations at the end of January.

“Additionally, with an Apple Music membership, listeners can access dozens of radio stations curated by our team of music experts, covering a range of genres, commercial-free with unlimited skips. The free three-month trial of Apple Music includes radio.”

The company has also addressed the impact of its decision to no longer act as an intermediary between ad sellers and publishers and stop taking a 30 per cent cut of sales.

“We are focusing our efforts on the iAd platform. We are proud of the success which iAd has enabled for our partners, and grateful for the hard work by our dedicated sales team,” it said.

It is understood that iAd sales support will finish as early as next week with ad support for iTunes Radio to finish at the end of the month.

Nic Christensen 

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