Apple has announced that it is renaming it's Beats 1 radio station to Apple Music 1 and launching two further dedicated radio stations.

In the process, Apple has dropped the Beats name - the last reference to the company it bought in 2014 in the Apple Music service.

Apple claims the move isn't to phase out the Beats name but to better align the main radio channel with the music subscription service and the new station offerings.  

Now users will be able to tune into Apple Music 1, which will continue with little change aside from the name change, as well as new addiitons Apple Music Hits and Apple Music Country.

Apple Music 1, as it will now be known, will keep ex-BBC Radio One host Zane Lowe along with other "cornerstone" presenters, including Ebro Darden, Brooke Reese, Dotty, and Hanuman Welch.

Of the new stations, Apple Music Hits will focus on music spanning from the 80s through to the early 2000s and will be helmed by daily on-air hosts, including Jayde Donovan and Estelle.

Fans can also tune in to hear new exclusive shows from artists like Backstreet Boys, Alanis Morissette, Snoop Dogg, and Meghan Trainor.

Apple Music Country's talent roster boasts shows from the likes of Kelleigh Bannen, Ty Bentli, Alecia Davis, and Ward Guenther. There will also be weekly shows from Ashley Eicher and Kelly McCartney.

The three radio stations will be included in the monthly subscription and will be available on all devices that already have access to Apple Music.