iTunes Radio Already A Hit With Advertisers

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, August 21, 2013

While you could argue that "the jury's still out" regarding the pending September debut of iTunes Radio, one group already seems quite convinced the venture will be successful -- big name advertisers. According to Ad Age, high-profile brand partners like McDonald's, Nissan, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble are already lining up for 12-month advertising packages that go into the tens of millions of dollars!

For that kind of faith and investment, launch partners get exclusivity in their respective industries through the end of the year. But come January 2014, every advertiser is welcome, provided that agree to a minimum buy-in or around $1 million. iTunes Radio ads will come in three forms: audio, video and "slate" ads -- interactive displays that overtake whatever screen the consumer is using.

Consumers can elect an ad-free option if they purchase iTunes Match, a cloud-based music storage feature that allows users access to their libraries on any Internet-connected Apple device. Otherwise, the service will be free to anyone who doesn't mind the ads. We'll go ahead and say what you're thinking: "It must be nice."