iTunes Radio Tips: Make the Most of iTunes Radio on iOS 7

With the release of iOS 7, all Apple apps received a makeover. However, in the case of the Music app, it was far more than that, as the Apple’s native music player got a new feature in the form of iTunes Radio, which

also released on iTunes

.

Having iTunes Radio on iOS 7 though is an entirely different matter. It means Apple’s entry into the streaming music business on the platforms where that business is really successful and that are full of strong competitors.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at iTunes Radio on iOS 7, as well as at a couple of tips to help you make the most out of it.

iTunes Radio on iOS 7

To use iTunes Radio, you have to open the Music app on your iPhone or other iOS device and look for the Radio icon at the bottom of the screen. Once there, iTunes Radio shows you a series of featured radio stations curated by Apple at the top of the screen and your stations at the bottom.

If you use iTunes Radio on your computer, your stations are synced with your iPhone, so you have instant access to all your radio stations across all devices. When playing any song you can purchase it from the iTunes Store if you like it. Additionally, you can also create new stations from any song using either it or its artist as the base.

Something that is also worth noting (especially for users of other radio services like Pandora for example), is that iTunes Radio also learns the music you like from your behavior using the app, and uses that information to better tailor its results when creating radio stations for you.

Create Your Own Radio Station on iOS 7

Creating your own radio stations on iTunes Radio is fairly simple. Just tap the New Station button, enter your search criteria (artist, genre or song) and iTunes Radio will offer some stations for you to choose from.

And, as mentioned before, the more you ‘Like’ songs (using the Star icon when playing) and play them, the more iTunes Radio learns and the better results it delivers. The algorithms used still need to be improved, but the results so far are at least satisfactory.

One thing that is worth mentioning to anyone thinking of ditching something like Pandora for iTunes Radio, is that Apple’s alternative won’t allow you to select which tracks you want to listen to. That means you are stuck with whatever the station throws at you, which is not ideal.

Cool Tip: Due to licensing issues, iTunes Radio is only available in a handful of countries. However, you can still use it either on your iOS device or on your computer running iTunes if you have a U.S. iTunes Store account. Once you sign into a U.S. account, iTunes Radio will work perfectly regardless of where you are!

And there you go. iTunes Radio is definitely a big step for Apple and is also one of the best new features of the new iOS 7. Honestly, it can’t yet compete with other music streaming services, but it is still a great way to discover and enjoy music, especially if you never tried another service before.