14 DAY TRIAL // Registered Apple developers looking to test the company’s new offerings in music can go ahead and grab iTunes 11.1 Beta 1, a new version of the company’s media player and digital storefront.
iTunes 11.1 includes iTunes Radio, which Apple describes as “a great new way to discover music.” This new version of iTunes (along with the Radio function) requires OS X 10.7 Lion and is available exclusively to the U.S.
Apple announced iTunes Radio at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, describing it as a free Internet radio service featuring over 200 stations and a vast catalog of music from the iTunes Store.
iTunes Radio is available not only for the Mac, but also on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Windows PC, and even Apple TV. It offers access to stations inspired by the music you already listen to, and it evolves based on that same criteria.
“The more you use iTunes Radio and iTunes, the more it knows what you like to listen to and the more personalized your experience becomes,” Apple said.
iTunes Radio also offers access to exclusive “first listen” premieres, lets you tag or buy anything you hear with just one click, and sports Siri integration.
Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, said on June 10, “iTunes Radio is an incredible way to listen to personalized 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.”
Developers looking to download iTunes 11.1 Beta 1 need to visit the Apple Dev Center with their credentials in hand. Since it’s beta-grade software, only developers are advised to use the new iTunes (for testing purposes).