Apple has announced that Apple Music is getting two new radio stations, as well as revealing that the streaming service's most popular station, Beats 1, has been given a name-change.
Now known as Apple Music 1, the station will continue to be headed up by its star DJ and global creative director, Zane Lowe, and will still focus on "pop culture conversation and artist-led programming", according to the company.
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That artist-lead programming is set to include shows hosted by musical heavyweights, including pop superstar Lady Gaga, as well as J Balvin, Travis Scott, and Haim.
A golden age in pop
The first of the two new radio stations is Apple Music Hits, which will be sure to appeal to anyone craving a nostalgia-boost, with its catalogue of tracks from the 80s, 90s and 2000s.
As well as playing the most-loved tracks from these years – which were undoubtedly a golden age in the world of pop music, with everything from Run-D.M.C to Britney Spears – the station will connect listeners with "the stories behind the most popular songs in the world."
Apple Music Hits is set to tell these stories with the help of a few famous names from the era, including "Backstreet Boys, Ciara, Mark Hoppus, Huey Lewis, Alanis Morissette, Snoop Dogg, Meghan Trainor, Shania Twain, and more."
Meanwhile, country music fans will have their own place to enjoy "the stars of tomorrow" as well as "the legendary artists and tracks that have shaped and defined country music along the way."
Apple Music Country will feature daily on-air hosts, including "Kelleigh Bannen, Ty Bentli, Bree, Alecia Davis, Ward Guenther, Nada, and Tiera," as well as exclusive shows from artists like Jimmie Allen, Carrie Underwood, and The Shires.
Apple says radio is "part of the fabric of country music culture," and that the new station is designed to amplify that experience for the modern fan.
Both new stations, as well as Apple Music 1 can be accessed via Apple Music on your smartphone, music streamer, TV, or computer, as well as via the Apple HomePod, which allows you to start listening by asking Siri to play the station of your choice.
We're hoping that Apple Music's radio revamp could pave the way for a new HomePod model – rumors that the so-called Apple HomePod 2 or Apple HomePod Mini will launch in 2020 have been mounting steadily, and with no appearance at WWDC 2020, we could be in for an announcement when the iPhone 12 is expected to launch in September.
In any case, the new radio stations could give Apple Music a boost in its battle to be the best music streaming service in the world; however, with 72 million subscribers compared to Spotify's 130 million, it has a long road ahead.
