Thanks to technology behemoth Apple, a new Internet radio station is available. Apple’s latest creation is Beats 1, which brings nonstop music to your computer or portable electronic device. With Beats 1 you can stream a wide variety of music and listen to it where you want, when you want to your heart’s content. Beats 1 comes with an attractive, low monthly price and the ability to put multiple people on one account. That way, you and your family members or friends can enjoy on-demand music as you please. Apple Music's Beats 1 is the new baby of iTunes and Beats Music combined.

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The Good

There is a lot to like about Beats 1, whether you are new to Internet, streaming music or have used it extensively for a number of years. Either way, you will be pleased with the quality and delivery of this convenient medium. Here are some specific aspects of Beats 1 that are sure to please:

No annoying commercials. Those who have been frequent listeners to competitor Pandora are well aware that free-version users have to deal with those pesky commercials ever few songs. It's as if you're listening on your car radio. One of the supposed advantages to on-demand, Internet radio is the ability to bypass such interruptions. Beats 1 won't hinder your listening with these lapses, so you can enjoy song after song, even if you are a member of the less-expensive plan.
Song selection. Beats 1 will give you access to more than 30 million songs. Yes, that's 30 million, and the songs come in varying genres that you're certain to find to your liking. There is no shortage of toe-tapping, get-up-and-dance tunes with Beats 1.
Whether you're at home, in the car, on the go, or anywhere for that matter, you can access Beats 1. As long as you have a portable device, you are hooked up. Beats 1 will work on a PC or Mac, as well as your Android iOS or watchOS.
The sound quality is crystal-clear and beautiful to the ears. At 265 kbps, the speed is what you want, as fast as you want.
Old-school feel. Listening to Beats 1 in a lot of ways is like listening to a good old-fashioned terrestrial radio, and there's something appealing about that to a lot of people. Of course, this has its limitations, but hearing something live in its entirety is what radio is all about.
Quality support. With Apple, you know you are getting a sound product-perfect, no, but top of the line, for sure. Customer support is top-notch; you can get answers to just about any questions you have on the Apple Music website, which in and of itself, is fantastically designed and easy to navigate.

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The Bad

Not everyone loves Apple products or the company in general. And not everyone is enamored with Internet radio. Beats 1, just like any competitor, has limitations and things that people are going to find irritating or lacking. Below are some elements of Beats 1 that could be considered as shortcomings.

At $9.99 and $14.99 a month for the single and family plans, respectively, the cost might not seem like anything to complain about. After all, this is scarcely less than 50 cents a day. However, when considered competitors such as Pandora (or the traditional radio station for that matter) allow you to listen for free, this monthly cost represents an obvious disadvantage.
Listening limitations. While some people find it appealing to have the old school radio feel (as described above), other will find it annoying. For example, you can't move ahead or skip songs. Also, you have no control over what song comes next. Of course, you can select a genre, but this still leaves you with a slew of possibilities, many of which you might have no interest in.
Use of a DJ. Those listening to Internet radio want to hear music and are likely listening to avoid the nonsensical banter and talk that DJs bring. Well, at Beats 1, you get that. Song are preceded by the regular DJ chitchat you find on the radio. The DJs. Might talk about the weather, current events or whatever else you'd find on the radio in between song. You'll find yourself saying, "Get to the song already!"
A lot of people aren't going to like this, but Beats 1 will cut out any obscene lyrics from the songs that come on. Of course, some listeners will applaud this feature, but the fact there is no option to override it will draw ire from people who want to hear the song in its pure, recorded form.
Lacking variety of genres. The following genres will play on Beats 1: Soundsystem, the Mixtape, On the Floor, Pop Hits, All-City, Americana, Blues, Chili, Classic Alternative. Some of these titles don't explain what the type of music really is, but clearly, some popular music types-namely classic rock and country-don't seem to be present.

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The Bottom Line

As opposed to iTunes, which allows you to download a list of selected songs to your device to play when and where you'd like (with the ability to start and stop a given song at your whim), Beats 1 is Internet radio, which streams to your device and plays constantly. Listeners of both media have their preferences, and each has their pros and cons. If you are an Internet radio fan, you'll understand what Beats 1 is trying to do, and you'll love it. Any time of day you like, you'll find a multitude of tunes coming out of your computer or handheld device to cheer you up, pump you, soothe you, or do whatever it is you're looking for you music to do. Beats 1 is in its infancy, and there are sure to be its detractors. But if you're OK to pay a handful of bucks every month and listen to DJs, you're going to almost certainly love Beats 1.

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371 Reviews

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Janessa P Logan, UT

I enjoy using Apple music as my streaming service. It has been very nice to be able to create playlists and find music and show lyrics. They used to be really bad at what music they filter into the queue but they have improved that some, there used to be many of the same songs played over and over and now there are less of those. I have found on occasion some songs being "unavailable" that I had previously saved to my library but when I search them, I find them. And occasionally a searched song that they just do not have on there. It seems like they are growing their database but have more work to go. This is the streaming service for music that I use the most.

9 months ago

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Megan Frump

I have had Apple Music for over 10 years and I absolutely love it. There was a brief minute that I switched to an android phone and had to use Google play and I don’t know it just wasn’t the same. I truly don’t have any complaints Can’t think of any cons to Apple Music.

11 months ago

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Kevin Ortiz

My music streaming service of choice. I tend to come back to Apple Music, regardless of what other services provide to me. Beats 1 is a great addition to enjoying the music specially, in spatial, audio and different types features that Apple Music provide. The Apple subscription is on par with other services. However, when I bundled with Apple, one subscription I noticed a better value for me. I can also say that, even though the Apple Music catalog is impressive in itself, decoration playlist, and additional recommendations is not superior to other streaming platforms.

1 year ago

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Carlos M. Hercules, CA

OMG! I love apple music. for a good monthly or yearly price, you get millions of songs and download them to your phone. I love that with the songs there's lyrics to follow along and sing. You can find mostly any song you're looking for. any genre, or even any local artist from your city. Everyone in my family uses apple music. I totally recommend it.

2 years ago

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Kimberly LeBaron Delta, UT

I much prefer Apple Music to Spotify. If you have an iPhone, Apple Music is consistent with the rest of Apple’s formatting, so it’s very easy to use. You can find pretty much everything on there. It’s easy to find songs, make playlists, and share music. The family plan let’s multiple people in a family have their own libraries for the price of one membership, making it super cheap. I like it way better than Spotify.

5 years ago

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Beth Farmer Pleasant Grove, UT

I did a 90-day free trial with Apple Music and was very impressed. I've always been an Apple user, so using their music streaming made it super easy, like telling Siri to play a song or a playlist, getting customized playlists and recommendations, and integrating songs I had previously purchased from iTunes. I didn't continue with the service after the trial because Apple Music doesn't integrate with Amazon's Echo and I needed to be able to play music from Echo, so I opted for Spotify premium. This is my only annoyance with Apple products is that you typically can only use them within their own ecosystem.

5 years ago

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Zac Cannon Long Beach, MS

I use Apple Music to stream all of my purchased music as well as collecting albums in general. As a musician it is convenient to pay a small price every month for access to numerous albums. It keeps my listening library full and even helps to introduce myself to more music!

4 years ago

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Tanner Cook Gilbert, AZ

Apple Music makes finding and listening to music very easy. You don’t have to worry about downloading and purchasing it, you just click download and then it’s on your phone. Very convenient, and is my go to app for Music.

5 years ago

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Pete Centerville, UT

I love Apple Music. The family plan makes it very affordable and easy. I have all of my family on it (6 people) and its only 15 dollars a month. It's also very easy to use and understand, even my parents know how to use it. Bottom line is Apple Music is amazing.

7 years ago

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Ja'Mia Brown Tallahassee, FL

Apple music is great, I've been using it for awhile now. It even has discounts for students! The only problem I have with it is that it doesn't have certain songs on it's platform. Of course I'm not expecting it to have every song, but I've stopped listening to over a dozen songs from mainstream artists simply because apple music doesn't have it.

3 years ago

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abw fsu Tallahassee, FL

Apple Music gets all the hate but it's the BEST!! I found the transition from iTunes to Apple Music to be so easy and natural. I'm on a family plan, which makes Apple Music very cost effective! One of my favorite features is the lyric search. I always forget the names of songs, but now that's not a problem because I can look up the lyrics and Apple Music will literally show you where the words are in the song!! I also love the favorites playlist the Apple makes for you automatically. If I have a choice, I'm choosing Apple Music any day.

3 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Caitlin Fayetteville, AR

I have been an Apple Music customer for years now. At the beginning, my whole family was paying for individual Apple Music subscriptions, but after realizing it we contacted customer support. They were beyond helpful and helped even refund us for some of the time that we had mistakenly all been paying individually, instead of on the family plan! Thanks for looking out for us Apple! Apple customers for life.

4 years ago

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David Anderson Providence, UT

We have apple music for the entire family. I am so glad I never have to buy music again for anyone. I can listen to any song I can possibly think of anytime on my phone. All I do is search and its there. Downloading songs to my phone is super easy. The app is easy to use and also is fully integrated with my sonos sound system. I would never go back to having a limited number of songs on a disc or hard drive. Now I can listen to anything anytime. If you don't get apple music, you're crazy.

4 years ago

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Raquel San Jose, CA

I love Apple Music. They constantly are improving their interface to make it people friendly, while also making sure they show all the latest music and hits. I need a site that is easy to navigate and they have come a long way from when Apple Music was first released. I love that I can make my own personal albums and can download albums that other people have made. Another thing I really appreciate are the albums they generate based off your interests. Every Tuesday I look forward to my "Favorites" album and see what they have put together.

4 years ago

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Tyler Oskaloosa, IA

Apple Music is absolutely fantastic and is my favorite music streaming service. It’s music library is absolutely endless. It has every song you could ever need. It’s also fantastic because it tells your favorite artists stories if you would like. It’s very easy to use and make your own playlists. Apple Music is an incredible streaming service.

4 years ago

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Bianca Jyotishi DeLand, FL

I'm an Apple person through and through. I switched from Spotify because as a technologically-challenged millennial, Spotify was too confusing and I couldn't find a lot of Bollywood songs on there. Apple has Hindi music dating back to the 40s (probably earlier but I haven't looked) and it's so easy to use. I love my Apple Music and wouldn't ever trade it for another streaming service.

4 years ago

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Julia Cavalcanti Orem, UT

I've always used Spotify for free but have recently tried Apple music, currently still on a free trial but so far I'm enjoying it a lot. I have found so many cool songs and artists on the 'For You' page, which is updated daily. Apple music gives you a greater connection to your followers than other music apps; they tell you if your friends are listening to the same music and even make playlists out of all of their favorites. Another key point is that they provide clean versions of nearly every song, unlike Spotify.

5 years ago

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Amani Patel Harrisonburg, VA

Pretty good music streaming service! Wish there were more options with creating playlists and creating a queue for songs, but I can't complain because of its functionality and quality.

10 months ago

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Jason Atlanta, GA

I love Apple Music. They have a great student discount where you can pay half price that I used during college. Apple Music is well worth the full price so I still use it while now that I'm out of college.

1 year ago

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Brooklyn Bishop Smithfield, UT

I absolutely love Apple Music! It is so easy to navigate and has so many stations and options for music. Your music automatically downloads when you add it to a downloaded playlist. I would totally recommend!

4 years ago

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Mia Alshami Fayetteville, AR

I love the service that Apple Music provides! I have the family plan and I love that it is affordable and accessible to everyone in my family. We all love it and use it on a daily basis.

4 years ago

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Katelyn Empey Logan, UT

I really like Apple Music because it works well with my apple products I own. I can also get a student discount. The stations aren't as good and extensive as other music streaming companies, but because of my apple products, apple music seems to work best with these products, including my phone.

7 years ago

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darcy sullivan Pensacola, FL

Apple Music will always be my go-to streaming service! I am able to listen to any song I want, whenever I want. Even without service, I am able to download music and listen anywhere. It is so easy to use and so organized, I love it!

2 years ago

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Meagan Carter Lehi, UT

Apple Music is the best music streaming service. You can listen to it anytime and anywhere. They have an affordable family price and my whole family we are able to all share an apple music and we all have access to any music we want.

2 years ago

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Paige McDanel Lehi, UT

I use Apple Music daily. Apple Music provides a wide music selection, as well as playlists and radio stations for any mood. It sorts my music by artist, genre, album, and even composer. Apple Music makes it incredibly easy for me to vibe to my music at any given time. I recommend it above any other music streaming app.

2 years ago

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Jaelyn Morris Havana, FL

I love using apple music. They have an amazing music selection with a huge number of artists and genres. I like that I can download my music and listen to it in areas with poor internet connection. I also like that they have students, which make the service easier to afford,.

2 years ago

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Alicia Mesa, AZ

I have loved my experience with Apple Music! It's easy to use and has pretty much everything I'm looking for! I love how it connects to all my Apple devices and can be used on other devices as well. I love that it's pretty intuitive and is personalized to me. It makes listening to music even more enjoyable.

2 years ago

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Saylor D Herriman, UT

I love listening to music with Apple Music because it is easy to use and has the best selection of songs. I have made so many great playlists with even the most obscure of songs. I always listen to Apple Music when I'm cleaning and it gets me hyped up!

2 years ago Edited January 13, 2022

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Nashali Vescovacci FL

Apple Music is great because they offer a wide variety of streaming music options to its users. It is also fairly easy to use and presents in a simple way. I especially like the previews it offers for some of the songs as well.

3 years ago

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Emily Guareno Tallahassee, FL

I love apple music, they have every music genre. They are elite in my opinion, they even have music videos for certain songs. Only thing is the price, but its worth it. Especially, if you are a college student, you get half off.

3 years ago

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Aiyana Brown Tallahassee, FL

Apple music has the best quality of music out of all the music apps in my opinion. The sound is always crisp, no matter whether it’s through my headphones, my phone itself, or through a speaker. I love how easy and clean the app is to use and I love the selection of music they have.

3 years ago

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xabriah glenn-young Tallahassee, FL

Apple Music is my number one source when it comes to streaming music, music videos and all things great. They also have deals that fit into each kind of person whether it’s a family plan, individual plan, or even student plans.

3 years ago

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Sydney Charleston South Jordan, UT

Apple music is my favourite music streaming service. You have access to so many songs and it is such a low price. Using the family plan can give your entire family access to apple music, and is great price for many people. I definitely reccomend.

3 years ago

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Jaelynn Florence Tallahassee, FL

Apple Music is my number one choice when it comes to streaming platforms. They have different plans for students, families, and singles which is very nice. They also create playlists specific to your likes/ interest making it a wonderful experience.

3 years ago Edited October 27, 2021

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Makayla Holland Gaithersburg, MD

I like Apple Music because you get a free trial and than pay around like 20 dollars for a couple months, but I don’t like the option that you can only pay either 20 for a couple months , they don’t have as many options and I don’t really like that.

3 years ago

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Brianna S Tallahassee, FL

Apple music provides so many different personalized music stations that come in handy during times where I cannot find a specific song to play. The range of songs and artists that are featured on apple music is endless and very convenient !

3 years ago

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Corbin Short West Wendover, NV

I love Apple Music's clean interface and easy it syncs with other Apple products. I have actually found Apple Music easier to use than Spotify and I like that it connects with the iPhone's day/night mode whereas Spotify is basically always in night mode, and that is just a personal thing that bugs me.

3 years ago

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brindle's corner ,

I loveee apple music, I’ve had it for soooo long and I don’t think I’ll ever switch to another streaming platform again. It is so simple to use and make playlists. The only thing is, sometimes it’s a little confusing to try and find people you follow, other people’s playlists etc. I love that you can easily share music with others through texts.

3 years ago

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Max Winkel American Fork, UT

I really like apple music because it has a good family plan. My dad pays for the unlimited music and it is great because me and my brothers can all use it for cheap. Sometimes songs aren't available in my region and I didn't notice that on Spotify but thats my only complaint.

4 years ago

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Ericka P Collins, GA

I love being able to look up any song I want to using Apple Music. This makes finding new songs or artists really easy. I also like that a family plan is an option so my whole family can have access to Apple Music using the same bill/account.

4 years ago

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Tiffany Nguyen , IL

Using Apple Music, I am able to listen to all the music I like, and every time I search the songs I want, it has it right there. It’s ad free and I absolutely love that, because it doesn’t interrupt the music my playlist.

4 years ago

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Irinna Danielson Riverton, UT

I love that Apple Music is available whenever I want to work out or clean or just need music to play in the car. It's easy to use and always has playlists that are just what I need. And, it helps to personalize music on playlists based on what I listen to the most. It's a great service and I listen to Apple Music as least twice a day. It has changed how I listen to music.

4 years ago

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Benjamin LeBlanc Norcross, GA

Apple Music is one of the premium streaming services for music out there. It has a wide selection of songs at your disposal and there’s an ease of access when trying to find new songs. There is a lack of customizable sound quality but sound for the overall is still great.

4 years ago

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Luis Diaz Norcross, GA

Apple Music is my favorite music streaming service. Literally has everything and anything. I use Apple Music every single day of my life. You can not only stream music but you can download too so that you don’t use up data! It’s super cheap and super reliable

4 years ago

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Randi Nelson San José, SJ

I would recommend Spotify over Apple Music, because I feel like more people use Spotify and you can follow other playlists on Spotify, and they have a great family plan for both. I like Apple Music though because they do have different songs available and different type of radio when you are searching for certain generas of music. It also is included in some phone plans so that’s nice. I do like Apple Music.

4 years ago

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Stephanie Love Herriman, UT

We have Apple Music and we have the family share plan. It’s super user friendly and you can add any song you want and download as many songs that you want. I have several folders I have put together. It’s so worth the monthly fee.

4 years ago

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Jenna Bagley American Fork, UT

I have a family plan for apple music and this allows me and the iphone users in my family to use apple music together. A good selection of music and usually new releases are released on apple music before any other streaming service

4 years ago

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Mickey Mangum Long Beach, MS

Absolutely love Apple Music. Well worth the 10$ a month I pay. It has most very artist I've ever searched for. Quality of recordings is better than CDs. I love the fact that I have access to the entire library. Love the ability to make playlists, save music offline, etc. Absolutely a must have subscription.

4 years ago

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Ramone Raiford Tallahassee, FL

This is how I get all my music. I love the way Siri is connected and can create me a station. I love music so I like how you have the option to download songs or just add them to your library. They also allow you to connect with others so you can see what they are listening to

4 years ago

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Desi Pleasant Grove, UT

I only listen to music here only. It gives you clean versions, is super organized, and let's you pick what songs you want to play. There's also lots of different types of playlists that you can listen to! When I have a hard time sleeping, I use their "Sleep Playlist" which helps me a lot.

5 years ago