Fancy headphones maker Beats prepares to take on the likes of Spotify, Pandora and Deezer with Beats Music-- a music streaming service set to launch in the US on January 2014 following internal alpha and beta tests.

Initially supposed to launch sometime during Q3 2013, Beats Music differentiates itself with the promise of curation from actual human beings as well as algorithm-generated recommendations. "It's like having your own guy when you go into the record store, who knows what you like but can also point you down some paths you wouldn't necessarily have encountered," chief creative officer Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor told Rolling Stone last year.

"Essentially, somebody would go through all the things that go through the scientific algorithm curation and call "bullshit,"" an anonymous source adds.

Reznor is just one big name from the music business making part of the project, since he is joined by CEO and TopSpin boss Ian Rogers and global head of programming and editorial Scott Plagenhoef (ex-Pitchfork editor-in-chief).

Otherwise Beats Music will be surely based on MOG, the music streaming service Beats acquired back in July 2012. Bolstering it further is one very important factor-- cash. According to NPD 2012 sales for the Jimmy Iovine-owned company total $1.6 billion, up by 30% over 2011.

Go Beats Music

Go 7 Things You Should Know about Beats Music (Rolling Stone)