The new service lets users follow their favourite artists and share playlists with friends via the iTunes account similar to the social functions on music streaming service Spotify.

Users can also post opinions on their favourite artists and notify friends of what gigs they are going to attend using Ping.

Eddy Cue, Apple VP of internet services, said, “One third of the people who have downloaded iTunes 10 have joined Ping. As many more people download iTunes 10 in the coming weeks, we expect the Ping community to continue growing.”

However, speculation still persists over whether Apple will launch a cloud-based music streaming service following its purchase of Lala – a cloud music service it subsequently shut in May this year.