Apple rumored to extend iTunes song preview time

Apple's iTunes, the largest music retailer, will boost the amount of time users are allowed to sample a song from 30 to as much as 90 seconds, CNET is reporting, citing unnamed sources.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is expected to appear today at the company's annual September media event, at which time the announcement could be made. Apple declined to comment on the rumor.

Currently, iTunes customers can hear 30-second song previews for free, a feature designed to give people a taste of the song before deciding whether to click buy. Users have complained that's not long enough.

Other services such as Pandora and Google's You Tube already allow customers to hear lengthier, and sometimes full-length, versions of songs.

CNET says Jobs and Apple will focus a large part of Wednesday's gathering on how the company is improving iTunes' music discovery experience.