iTunes Radio Set To Launch Today

Coming Today

iTUNES RADIO is expected to launch TODAY (9/18) with APPLE's release of iOS7, and many in the industry expect the new webcaster to be a boom for record companies.

CNET writes, "For the music labels, the hope is not just that APPLE lures people from PANDORA -- the company has a rocky relationship with the labels -- but that iTUNES RADIO pulls millions of people from the FM dial over to streaming radio, a more lucrative place for the labels."

"We're hoping APPLE shakes up the entire radio market," said one top digital music executive speaking on the condition of anonymity to CNET.

The report notes that "in the runup to this week's rollout, for instance, APPLE has asked all the major music labels for their 'heat seekers' lists, according to people familiar with process. Those are the lists the labels keep of artists and songs they're betting are on the verge of breaking -- even though the data might not yet point to success."

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