iTunes Radio Launches on iTunes 11.1, Later on iOS 7 - Hands On

iTunes version 11.1 is now available for download, as iOS 7 still on the way to its roll out, which means that if you want to test out the new iTunes Radio, a desktop demo is the way to go for now.

iTunes Radio is the Apple's much-anticipated entry into the streaming music business, threatening other internet radio services like Pandora and Rdio, which have lots of followers, but don't have the privilege of automatically incorporating their app into some of the most popular mobile devices on the planet, the way Apple is with iOS 7. But before iOS 7 launches, you can check out iTunes Radio on your desktop iTunes app, by upgrading to iTunes 11.1. 

If you're not attuned to the new(ish) iTunes 11 layout (or always use the old list style), it might be difficult to find iTunes Radio the second time, especially if you missed Apple's big "Try out iTunes Radio" banner that pops up right after upgrading. iTunes Radio doesn't get its own icon on the left-side menu, but rather is one of the top sub-menu choices under "Music."

Apple already has pre-mixed featured stations, like Beatles radio or Jazz Showcase, along with a sponsored mix from Pepsi.

There's also an option to create your own station, which Apple can build off of a track, artist or genre selection. You can then set your station for either hits, variety, or discovery, which is a great option to manually tailor your music, depending on your listening mood.

Much like Pandora's thumbs up or down system, a new star icon near the basic music controls allows you to either "play more like this," "never play this song," or add the track to an iTunes wishlist. (The "never play" feature is a bit more harsh than Pandora's thumbs down, so be careful when you're choosing from that menu, though you can fix a mistaken "never" in the station options).

Apple made buying songs that you like from iTunes an easy proposition, with an icon next to the song progress bar that not only takes you to the iTunes store, but conveniently displays the price of the song before you click.

As was expected, between songs or at the start of a playlist, you will get advertisements now and then, including full window video ads.

Besides iTunes radio, the iTunes 11.1 update includes a few tweaks that might be worth the update even if you're not interested in streaming music. Podcast fans (some of whom may subscribe to hundreds of podcasts) will find a new "My Stations" feature, which gives you the option to further parse your podcasts into playlists. Those stations can also sync via iCloud, so your iOS device will stay current without any deliberate syncing hassles.

There's also a new feature called Genius Shuffle, which is basically an intelligent shuffling playlist based on iTunes' Genius software. It's in the Controls pull-down menu, or you can access it by pressing Option-Space. Each time you hit that, it will give you a random Genius Mix - a great idea if you have a large library of songs that you almost never give an intentional look at, but want all of your songs to follow the same kind of genre or flow.

As far as iTunes Radio is concerned, it remains to be seen how deep the streaming library feels when you're listening - and especially when you start tweaking stations down to exactly what you want - but right now iTunes Radio seems like a vast and untapped musical territory that I can't wait to explore.

You can update iTunes by clicking the "iTunes" pull-down menu > "Check for Updates" or by clicking here.