Apple is officially launching the company’s new streaming service today. What’s new and what do you need to know? Take a look below to compare Apple’s newest streaming service with Spotify and other streaming options.

Three In One

It can be a bit confusing to try and understand what exactly Apple is launching right now. That’s because the company is actually launching three different music services that all fall under the same name umbrella. The launch includes the following:

-Apple Music: this is the service that you’ve probably heard the most about, and it will be Spotify’s biggest competitor. The service will be available for $9.99 per month, and it will include an “all-you-can-play” option. This new service will be free for the first three months.

-Beats1: Beats1 is another faction of Apple’s new music option. Beats1 is a live-streaming radio station aimed at the younger generation. The station will include a number of top DJs and names that most youth will recognize, and the station will launch from New York, California, and London. This is the part of the new “Apple Music” service that the company hopes will entice a younger target market.

-iTunes Connect: here’s where you can follow your favorite artists, and see what tracks those artists are playing. Apple’s idea with iTunes Connect is to let popular existing artists lead listeners and fans to other tracks by other artists. You can’t connect with other iTunes Connect users right now, though, so hopefully the artists using this service will promote other tracks and not just aim for self-promotion.

The Confusion Surrounding Beats1

Beats1 will be a radio streaming service operated by popular DJs, as mentioned above, but there are some unanswered questions about Beats1 as well. There’s no response from Apple yet as to whether or not the service will be free forever or just for now. It’s also not clear if some of the music will be pre-recorded or live or both. So, those answers have to be, well, answered before people will likely flock to Beats1.

What is clear about Beats1 is that it’s meant to exist for younger listeners, and so Apple might just have to bite the bullet when it comes to controversial topics that might surface through the radio service. Hopefully Apple will not censor the DJs too much, but you never know with Apple (the company is somewhat notorious for censorship when it comes to certain things). All of this is launching today, so you should be able to get your own Apple Music account right away.

Tuning In

No matter what part of the new Apple Music service interests you, there’s bound to be something for everyone. If you do want to tap into the streaming side of things, that monthly fee is $9.99, and you do get three months for free. It will be interesting to see whether or not the Beats1 radio station takes off. Why Apple thinks that Beats1 will be more interesting than current radio (that’s largely dying out) remains to be seen.