Apple is taking its music radio stations beyond its own ecosystem for the first time. Starting today, Apple Music’s six live stations — Apple Music 1, Hits, Country, Música Uno, Club, and Chill — are streaming directly through TuneIn, the cross-platform radio app with roughly 75 million monthly users.
The partnership marks a rare move for Apple, which typically keeps its services tightly bound to its own platforms. For TuneIn listeners, the deal means access to Apple Music’s curated radio without ads. For Apple, it’s a way to put its brand in front of millions of potential subscribers who may not otherwise open the Apple Music app. A link within TuneIn will direct listeners back to Apple’s service.
The timing isn’t coincidental. Apple Music has been steadily losing ground to Spotify in recent years. In the U.S., Apple’s share of music streaming subscribers has slipped from 30% in 2020 to 25% by the end of 2024, while Spotify has grown from 31% to 37% over the same period. Globally, Apple Music’s share has also fallen from 16% to 12%. Unlike Spotify, Apple doesn’t offer a permanent free tier, relying instead on free trials to lure users into paying subscriptions. Making its radio stations accessible on TuneIn could help bridge that gap.
TuneIn, which aggregates more than 100,000 radio stations worldwide alongside podcasts, news, and sports, has a history with Apple. Back in 2019, the companies collaborated to make TuneIn’s global stations available within the Apple Music app. This new arrangement flips the relationship, giving Apple Music’s stations exposure within TuneIn’s much larger discovery ecosystem.
It’s a subtle but telling adjustment in Apple’s streaming strategy. By loosening its walled garden approach, Apple Music is acknowledging that it needs to meet listeners where they are — not just on iPhones or within its own apps. Whether that move translates into new subscribers, however, will depend on whether TuneIn listeners see enough value to jump from free radio to paid streaming.
