Sonos takes on Spotify and Apple with its own radio streaming service that will broadcast original content and come preloaded on its app
- Sonos Radio is rolling out in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland and Australia today
- The service will stream radio stations that play music and broadcast news
- It will be free, ad-supported, and group together 60,000 different stations
- Sonos will produce original content where famous artists curate songs
- The new service will be preloaded into Sonos’ own app
Sonos is introducing a free radio streaming service that will allow customers to browse 60,000 different stations and mark the company’s first ever foray into the world of original content.
According to the company, Sonos Radio will be available through the company’s app and available exclusively through Sonos speakers.
Through the app, users will be able to stream music and news from partners like iHeartRadio and NPR for free. The venture will be ad-supported according to the company and is rolling out as part of a current software update from the company.
Sonos is launching its own radio streaming service that will aggregate more than 60,000 different stations and also broadcast original content
‘Complementing the 100-plus streaming options available on Sonos, the new service introduces a holistic and cohesive way to explore radio, bringing together more than 60,000 stations from multiple streaming partners alongside original programming from Sonos,’ said Sonos in a press release
In addition to aggregating radio and music from stations everywhere, Sonos Radio will also take a stab at creating what the company is calling ‘original content.’
Specifically, Sonos says that it has hired radio personalities to help produce original shows and will also utilize partnerships with existing musicians to do celebrity curated playlists.
‘Artist hosted radio hours, released every Wednesday, will start the stream of Sonos Sound System for a 60-minute radio show with music and commentary about inspiring artists, releases, and the host’s latest work,’ said Sonos in a statement.
As noted by The Verge, Sonos will attempt to position its new service, specifically its original content, as a superior form of music curation compared to competitors like Spotify and Apple.
Among the advantages according to Sonos is a more diverse offering of human-curated music that doesn’t solely rely on AI recommendations like those made popular by Spotify.
While Sonos said it will eventually preload Sonos Radio onto its app, the company says it won’t give Sonos Radio preferential treatment and users can remove the service from their browse menu on the app if they desire.
All of Sono’s new systems will begin rolling out across the United States, Canada, UK, Ireland, and Australia today.