(Hypebot) — Sonos is launching Sonos Radio, a free, ad-supported streaming radio service, exclusively available to its 10 million customers.
The new service combines the 60,000 stations already available from multiple streaming partners alongside original programming from Sonos. Today, nearly half of all listening time on Sonos is dedicated to customers’ favorite stations and DJs.
Ad-supported stations will be curated by a team of curators, DJs and artists, and ad-free artist stations are launching with a personal station from Thom Yorke.
Upcoming artist-curated stations from Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, David Byrne, and Third Man Records will debut in the coming weeks. New artist stations will launch regularly.
Thom Yorke
Yorke’s station, In the absence thereof… launches today”
“Here in a new form is that ever rolling compilation / office chart habit of mine of putting together what I have found recently that fascinates or moves me, what obsesses me, challenges me, opens new doors, reminds me of what I might have forgotten, is insanely complex or elegantly simple, violent, funny, messy, heavy or light. Whatever has hit me over the head basically. It may be new or old or just dug up again. With all this time we have behind doors I hope this provides a welcome connection and escape…and perhaps stops the walls closing in quite so quick.” – Thom
Sound System New Music Channel
A new add free Sonos Sound System channel will feature new artists, stories and insights into today’s music. Curated and hosted by the Sonos team, will be recorded in a newly built radio studio in Sonos’ flagship store in New York City.
The channel will also include behind-the-scenes stories, as well as guest artist radio hours from the likes of Angel Olsen, JPEGMAFIA, Phoebe Bridgers, Jeff Parker (Tortoise), Vagabon, and more.
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.
Super Hi-Fi
Sonos partnered with Super Hi-Fi, a company delivering AI for digital music, for volume leveling across songs and ads, song blending, and seamlessly mixing in voice commentary.
“Sonos has always made it easy for customers to discover the riches of streaming music services by building premium products that sound great and by giving customers the freedom to use the services of their choice,” said Patrick Spence, Sonos CEO. “Sonos Radio brings together streaming radio services and a select set of curated radio stations in a simple, elegant way. This is just a beginning as we work to deliver services that provide our customers a better experience, and provide our music streaming service partners an opportunity to highlight their best content.”
