Apple take on Spotify with free iRadio streaming service

Apple has unveiled a new free music streaming service that could threaten firms like Spotify.

The arrival of iTunes Radio comes just a month after Google introduced its Play Music All Access, a streaming subscription service for Android devices.

But in a departure from the internet giant's pay-to-use facility, iRadio will be available free of charge providing users are willing to listen to advertisements.

A second option - iTunes Match - will be launched for those prepared to pay a fee of £21.99 a year for a similar service, without advertisements.

iTunes Radio will feature more than 200 stations and is designed to provide customers with an experience based on the music they listen to or download.

The service is set to offer access to thousands of new songs every week and exclusive music from new artists before it is played elsewhere.

Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of internet software and services, said: "iTunes Radio is an incredible way to listen to personalised radio stations which have been created just for you.

"It's the music you love most and the music you're going to love, and you can easily buy it from the iTunes Store with just one click."

The American technology giant has integrated its Siri feature into iTunes Radio to enable users to pose questions relating to the tracks they listen to or request the name of an artist.

The radio feature will be accessible via iOS 7's music app.

Stuart Miles, founder of technology and gadget site Pocket-lint, said it could pose a challenge to services such as Pandora or Spotify.

He said: "They are doing it because that is the way things are going but it doesn't seem to add a huge amount beyond Spotify or Pandora. That said, if they are offering it with the operating system, people are likely to use it instead of the other options."

But Jan Dawson, of research firm Ovum, said Apple could have taken the service further.

"As Apple said, this is about a new way to discover music, not a way to listen to whatever you already know you want to listen to."