Rumor: Apple Streaming Service Expected at WWDC

If you're a big Apple fan, don't cancel your Spotify, Rdio, or streaming service of choice just yet. In what might be the world's worst-kept secret, it's pretty obvious that Apple is going to launch its own rival streaming service based around its Beats Music acquisition.

What's not so clear, however, is just when Apple plans to launch said service—and, of course, all the nitty-gritty details of what it might look like, what music artists might (or might not) be involved, and how it might integrate with iTunes and Apple's various products.

According to 9to5Mac, Apple was originally planning to launch its streaming service in early 2015. But don't expect Apple to announce anything big about Beats at its Monday event. According to unnamed sources who spoke with 9to5Mac, Apple's new music service will make its debut, or at least be announced, at June's Worldwide Developers Conference. It will probably arrive in the fall with the new iOS devices and iOS 9.

That said, current rumors suggest that Apple might undercut Spotify, Rdio, and even Beats Music's own pricing setup by offering its streaming service for only $8 per month—all of $2 cheaper than the aforementioned services' monthly subscription plans.

Allegedly, Apple has yet to finalize whether it will launch the streaming service (beta or otherwise) as part of its iOS 8.4 update, scheduled to appear after WWDC, or as part of iOS 9. The service will integrate into the Music app on iOS and iTunes on OS X, and it'll work similarly to how the existing Beats Music app works right now—with obvious design tweaks meant to give it a more Apple look and feel, 9to5Mac said.

The launch of Apple's streaming service should also see the launch of Apple's very first Android application. That's assuming that the Android app isn't delayed—as sources speaking to 9to5Mac indicate might be the case, due to recent losses among the company's stable of Android developers. Though important for the service's overall appeal, an Android iteration of Apple's streaming service is likely less critical of a goal for Apple versus getting everything operational and ready for the service's upcoming iOS and OS X launch.