A new beta of iTunes is available for developers, alongside the release of iOS beta 4. The most important new feature is the inclusion of iTunes Radio, the currently US only streaming service built to compete with Pandora and Spotify.
iTunes Radio is more like Pandora than Spotify – it uses what you listen to to create automatic radio stations for you to listen to. This makes sense within iTunes as a way to discover new music using your library. You can rate the songs played, which will give Apple the necessary data to try to improve your radio stations. Whatever you listen to will be synchronized across your Apple devices in iCloud.
iTunes Radio will be free, supported by advertisements. If you have a subscription to iTunes Match, the system that stores your music collection in the cloud for access anywhere, you will get iTunes Radio ad-free.
iTunes with iTunes Radio is expected for public release in fall this year, alongside the launch of iOS 7 which will also include the service.
