1. Pandora
2. Spotify Radio (powered by Echonest)
3. Rdio radio stations (also powered by Echonest)
4. Songza
5. Slacker (wait is this a non-starter too? should I have listed Grooveshark?)
Counterargument
1. 600,000 new iPhones activated EVERY SINGLE DAY. (And I didn’t even mention iPad activations…)
Don’t get me wrong, I think Apple has a serious uphill battle. Pandora has a massive first mover advantage, Android users are left completely out of the picture (not that Apple cares), and don’t even get me started on the massive failing of Apple to get into the on-demand streaming game. But seriously, I think this will be an interesting fight to watch. As I’ve stated previously, the key to winning in this world is providing value.
Also, on a completely personal note, I’d like to point out that I almost never use Pandora, sticking exclusively to Rdio (for on-demand) and Songza (for radio-style). Furthermore, I believe that Pandora is horribly flawed from a music discovery standpoint, and I’m hoping that iRadio somehow bests it in that category. I’m not really holding my breath.
