With multimedia consumption at an all-time high during the coronavirus isolations around the world, online radio has experienced a renaissance. That said, Apple has announced two new live global radio offerings on Apple Music, now available in 165 countries. Beginning August 18, Beats 1, the flagship global radio station, will be renamed Apple Music 1, and two additional radio stations will launch: Apple Music Hits and Apple Music Country.

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Apple Music launched in 2015, and since then Beats 1 has delivered in-depth artist interviews, global exclusives and premières. Now, Apple Music 1 also features several shows dedicated to celebrating the vibrancy of Latin music around the world, including a new show from J Balvin and listener favourites ¡Dale Play! with Sandra Peña and La Fórmula Radio with El Guru. The station is also home to Africa Now Radio with Cuppy, showcasing music and artistes across the diverse continent.

“For the past five years, Beats 1 had brought human curation to the forefront, drawing in listeners with exclusive shows from some of the most innovative, respected, and beloved people in music,” says Oliver Schusser, Vice President of Apple Music, Beats, and International Content, in a company statement. He continues, “Now, Apple Music radio provides an unparalleled global platform for artists across all genres to talk about, create, and share music with their fans, and this is just the beginning. We will continue to invest in live radio and create opportunities for listeners around the world to connect with the music they love.”

“Apple Music is home; it’s home to artists, it’s home to fans, and it’s home to incredible music,” says UK-based Zane Lowe, Apple Music’s global creative director and host. “I’m an obsessive music nerd. I love searching for the most exciting new artists and playing them right alongside the most essential, established artists of our time because great music does not know the difference and Apple Music fans just want to hear great music. That’s what Apple Music radio is all about.” New Zealand-born Lowe has been attached to BBC Radio 1, XFM, MTV Europe, prior to his joining Apple Music which was announced at Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2015.

New content, galore

Apple Music Hits celebrated classics from the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s, and will be helmed by daily on-air hosts Jayde Donovan, British artiste Estelle, Lowkey, Jenn Marino, Sabi, Nicole Sky and Natalie Sky, and George Stroumboulopoulos (House of Strombo), along with special shows from Ari Melber and others. Fans can also tune in to hear new exclusive shows from artists like Backstreet Boys, Ciara, Mark Hoppus, Huey Lewis, Alanis Morissette, Snoop Dogg, Meghan Trainor, Shania Twain, and more.

Meanwhile, Apple Music Country amplifies the country music experience for listeners. The station offers a mix of the best music of today while introducing fans to the stars of tomorrow and the talent roster boasts a wide range of country’s most exciting voices, including daily on-air hosts Kelleigh Bannen, Ty Bentli, Bree, Alecia Davis, Ward Guenther, Nada, and Tiera, plus weekly shows from Ashley Eicher and Kelly McCartney.

The announcement of Apple Music Radio comes less than a year after the launch of Apple TV+, the company’s OTT streaming platform with its own originals including Golden Globe-nominated The Morning Show, as well as hits including Defending Jacob, Greyhound, See, and more. These milestones mark Apple’s further investments in the entertainment industry.