Give them time at the negotiation table and they will come.
Per AppleInsider and AllThingsD, Sony Music, the last big kahuna they were waiting for, has reportedly signed a deal with Apple for its anticipated “iRadio” streaming music service, marking the last of the three major music labels to reach an agreement.
The story cites a source familiar with negotiations between the two companies, the agreement lending credence to the rumor that Apple is gearing up to unveil its rumored “iRadio” service at next week’s Worldwide Developers Conference.
Details of the deal come just days after Apple was also said to have successfully courted Warner Music Group. Previously, Apple had already agreed to terms with Universal Music Group, rounding out the big three labels.
For months, reports have claimed that stalled negotiations with Sony in particular have been holding up Apple’s debut of “iRadio.” Specifically, it was said that a song skipping feature was a major stumbling block for the record label.
With Sony now on board, Apple is expected to announced “iRadio” at its WWDC keynote next Monday. The anticipated service is expected to be a direct competitor to established streaming music services like Pandora.
Apple is also said to be revising its iAd network to run audio advertisements as part of the service. Ad support is expected allow users to stream content from “iRadio” for free when it launches.
Google also recently stepped into the streaming Internet radio market with All Access, which launched in May. The search company’s subscription music service is expected to debut on iOS devices in the coming weeks.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.