SAN FRANCISCO—Apple announced a major new foray into streaming music on Monday as it showed off a host of new software features for its iPhones, iPads and Mac computers.
The $10-a-month music service is called Apple Music and combines on-demand listening, a 24/7 radio station hosted by live DJs and a forum for artists to give fans behind-the-scenes content from upcoming releases.
The service, which was announced during Apple’s annual software conference Monday, will be launched later this month in more than 100 countries. It comes at a time when iTunes songs and album sales are falling, while streaming music leaders like Spotify and Deezer are gaining subscribers and revenue.
The music service was the biggest news of the company’s five-day conference, but Apple also announced a host of new upgrades and services coming later this year to the operating software for its popular iPhones, iPads and Mac computers.
The new features including enhancements to Siri, the company’s voice-activated digital assistant, as well as ApplePay, Apple Maps and the Apple Watch. Executives also mentioned a new streaming TV service that Apple is reportedly hoping to announce later this year.
