Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is reportedly having trouble pinning down licensing deals for its Internet radio service. The company was supposedly launching the service to compete with Pandora Media Inc (NYSE:P).
Media Decoder cites anonymous sources who said the service probably won’t be launched until at least the summer. The sources said Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is having trouble negotiating with various music companies.
Originally it was rumoured that Apple’s radio service would arrive sometime in February, but licensing negotiations are likely proving to be too difficult. Sony in particular is posing a problem. The company talked Pandora Media Inc (NYSE:P) into a 25 percent hike in publishing royalties this year.
Apple never officially announced the Internet radio service, which some have dubbed “iRadio,” in keeping with Apple’s iconic i products. But there have been indications that the company is working on it since last fall. The service would reportedly be delivered via an app pre-loaded on the company’s mobile devices. Using that app, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) users could listen to free music that gradually becomes tailored to their tastes over time. The service would then be supported through the company’s advertising platform.
At this point Pandora Media Inc (NYSE:P) has 65 million listeners, and if Apple is successful in launching a competing service, it could pose trouble for the company. Currently Pandora’s App is the second most popular app on Apple devices.
Shares of Pandora have struggled since news of Apple’s planned Internet radio service has leaked out, although today the stock is up 1.5 percent. Meanwhile, shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) are trading mostly flat at this time.
