Later today AOL is relaunching its free radio service, now powered by Slacker. AOL Radio listeners will have access to personal, customizable radio on a brand new Slacker interface.
This partnership could more than double the number of Slacker listeners.
New AOL Radio Powered by Slacker: Fewer Commercials + More Music + New Features + 10 Million Plus Song Catalog.
Top-to-bottom redesign, custom artist stations, improved functionality and AOL’s 200+ originally programmed stations and vast library
AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) today relaunched AOL Radio, now powered by Slacker, with 50% less audio advertising and improved listening features for easier access to its celebrated originally programmed stations and 10 million-plus song catalog. And with new custom artist stations, ESPN Radio and AOL’s 200+ stations, it lets listeners easily find music and other programming they’ll love.
“When AOL Radio announced its partnership with Slacker this summer we anticipated greatly improved web and mobile products, but what we’re giving listeners today is a completely new AOL Radio experience that exceeds our most optimistic expectations. Since many of our updates were driven by user feedback, we think our current listeners will be thrilled with the new offering. New listeners will be surprised at the evolution of AOL Radio and its vast programming choices now matched up with expansive features,” said Lisa Namerow, General Manager of AOL Music & AOL Radio.
AOL Radio powered by Slacker will offer features competitive with other premiere music product offerings, including on-demand music, offline play on mobile, custom artist stations and a library of songs in the millions. Users can easily bookmark or ban songs, and also have access to album reviews. Unlike other providers, AOL Radio powered by Slacker offers free mobile service, professionally curated content, and sports and news content.
AOL Radio powered by Slacker will continue to offer over 200 radio stations programmed by AOL Radio music directors. These professional music curators are award-winning DJs and music critics with decades of experience and knowledge that spans the full breadth of music. On top of this, the relaunched service offers new stations, including popular non-music programming like ESPN Radio with more to come, including ABC News.
“We are excited to be able to bring the benefits of the Slacker Radio service, already enjoyed by tens of millions of listeners, to the fans of AOL Radio,” said Jim Cady, CEO of Slacker, Inc. “Combining the power of Slacker Radio with the programming and breadth of content AOL Radio listeners are accustomed to makes for an exciting personal radio experience.”
Next month, in addition to the free service that is available today, AOL Radio powered by Slacker will offer two subscription products for users who want an even richer and more customizable listening experience. Radio Plus will feature completely ad-free listening without audio or banner advertisements, as well as unlimited song skips, song lyrics, and offline listening for mobile. Premium Radio will have all the features of Radio Plus as well as on-demand listening by song, album, artist or custom playlist.
AOL Radio powered by Slacker for the web is now available at aolradio.com. The free AOL Radio by Slacker App for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch can be downloaded for free at the Apple App Store (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aol-radio/id281913144). A new app for Android is expected later this year.
About AOL:
AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) is a premier global media company with a suite of brands and products serving consumers, advertisers and publishers worldwide. AOL is a leading source of news, opinion, entertainment, community and digital information comprised of a wide range of destination websites, including AOL.com, The Huffington Post, TechCrunch, Moviefone, Engadget, Patch, AOL Music, StyleList and MapQuest. The AOL Advertising.com Group includes Advertising.com, ADTECH, Pictela, Video, inclusive of AOL Video, goviral and 5min Media, Content Solutions and Sponsored Listings and serves a combined content and advertising market at scale through video, brand advertising, content and ad serving. AOL is focused on engaging consumers and providing online advertising services and solutions on both AOL’s owned and operated destination websites and third party websites, in addition to serving consumer platforms including AOL Mail, AIM, about.me, and mobile experiences. AOL also operates one of the largest Internet subscription access services in the United States, which serves as another distribution channel for its consumer offerings.
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