Apple is ending its ad-supported iTunes Radio online music service on Jan. 29, marking a major change in strategy for the tech giant.
Only Apple Music subscribers who pay $10 monthly will be able to get access to the dozens of stations, according to an email Apple sent to users on Friday and obtained by various news outlets including BuzzFeed.
ITunes Radio, which debuted in 2013, is a Pandora-like streaming service that lets users listen to programmed music over which they have only limited control beyond choosing a particular station and skipping six songs per station per hour. It is available only in the U.S. And Australia.
Apple’s only remaining free streaming option will be Beats 1, a radio station that is part of its Beats music service.
For more about Apple Music, watch:
The decision by Apple (AAPL) to make the changes to iTunes Radio is likely an effort to increase its music subscription business amid a rivalry with Spotify. Apple Music lets listeners chose the songs they want to listen to, for a fee. Apple Music, which premiered six months ago, is said to have attracted 10 million paid subscribers.
