Apple iRadio Signs Deal With Sony, Nears Release

Apple iRadio is nearing its inevitable release, and now Sony has jumped on the Apple bandwagon.

Sources close to negotiations revealed on Friday that Sony and Apple have agreed to terms for the new platform.

Based on this news, Apple has now allegedly signed deals with North America’s three largest music clearing houses. Those deals include Warner, Universal, and now Sony.

Apple’s iRadio platform is still missing a partnership with Sony/ATV, a joint publishing venture.

A report from tech site AllThingsD claims that any obstacles surrounding the Sony/ATV deal are smaller compared to other negotiations.

The dispute with the latter was caused by Sony asking to be paid for any play of a song even if a user decided to skip that song after a few seconds of listening.

Apple isn’t fully out of the woods yet, but, with the iRadio platform expected to be announced at WWDC on June 10, I have a feeling any last minute terms will be wrapped up shortly and Spotify, Google Play, and other online streaming platforms will soon be clamoring to compete in an ever crowding space.

It’s still unclear if iRadio will follow the Pandora music radio platform or feature the on-demand playability offered by Spotify. Some reports have suggested that Apple will use a combination of radio play mixed with user and expert created playlists and on-demand music playback.

Specifics about the Apple iRadio and Sony deal have not been revealed to us at this time.

Will you be ready to try out the Apple iRadio platform when it arrives, or have you already claimed your loyalty to Spotify, Pandora, or another established streaming song platform?