Yahoo! Music was a brand under which Yahoo! provided music services including Internet radio, a digital music store, music streaming service, media player software, and original programming.
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Type of site | Internet radio, Digital music store, Music streaming service, Media player software |
|---|---|
| Available in | Multilingual |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | Optional (required for most) |
| Current status | Defunct (merged into Yahoo!) |
History
editYahoo! Music Radio
editIn June 2001, after the bursting of the dot-com bubble, Yahoo! acquired LAUNCH Media, which was facing financial difficulty, for $12 million.[1][2][3] In addition to a website with music news and videos, it provided an Internet radio service that allowed users to create personalized Internet radio stations by rating songs selected by a recommender system. Users were also able to listen to music from 150 preset Internet radio stations. The service offered both an advertising supported free version and a subscription fee-based premium version.[4] At the time of the acquisition by Yahoo!, the service had 7.4 million users.[5]
In December 2008, the service was integrated into CBS Radio due to a rise in royalty rates, with CBS taking full control of the service, including advertising and sales and adding compatibility with Firefox and Safari.[6][7][8][9]
The service was integrated into iHeartRadio in June 2012, providing listeners exclusive access to music events such as the iHeartRadio Music Festival.[10] The service was shut down in early 2014 without any announcement.
Musicmatch Jukebox
editOn September 14, 2004, Yahoo acquired Musicmatch Jukebox for $160 million. However, the service was not integrated well, instead stagnating.[11]
Yahoo! Music Unlimited
editIn May 2005, Yahoo Music launched Yahoo! Music Unlimited, a music streaming service and digital music store.[12][13][14][15][16] Users paid a subscription fee to access a library of over two million songs which could be either streamed or downloaded as DRM-protected Windows Media Audio files and played from a computer in near CD quality sound. Subscribers could also download songs for transfer to CD or supported portable devices with an additional per-song payment. Yahoo! Music Jukebox was the software used for the service. The service required an active Internet connection. It was discontinued on September 30, 2008.[17][18] The service was praised for its music quality, interface, and cheaper price than competitors.[19][20]
References
edit- ^ "Yahoo Expands Music Portfolio With Deal to Buy Launch Media". The Wall Street Journal. June 28, 2001.
- ^ Hu, Jim. "Yahoo thinks entertainment with Launch buy". CNET.
- ^ King, Brad (June 28, 2001). "Yahoo Launches Into Web Music". Wired.
- ^ Williams, Martyn (January 29, 2003). "Report: Yahoo to launch subscription music service". Computerworld.
- ^ Flynn, Laurie J. (June 29, 2001). "Internet: Yahoo Buys A Music Service". The New York Times.
- ^ Liedtke, Michael (December 3, 2008). "Rising royalties send Yahoo's Launchcast to CBS". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023.
- ^ Reisinger, Don (December 3, 2008). "Yahoo hands Launchcast to CBS Radio". CNET.
- ^ Bachman, Katy (December 3, 2008). "CBS to Power Yahoo's LaunchCast". AdWeek.
- ^ Arrington, Michael (December 3, 2008). "Yahoo To Relaunch Launchcast Next Year With CBS Radio". TechCrunch.
- ^ Gardner, Eriq (June 27, 2012). "Yahoo and Clear Channel Forge Digital Radio Partnership". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Van Buskirk, Eliot (July 11, 2007). "Why Did Yahoo Pay $160 Million for Musicmatch?". Wired.
- ^ "Yahoo! Soft Launches New Music Service". Billboard. May 10, 2005.
- ^ Bangeman, Eric (May 11, 2005). "Yahoo enters digital music fray". Ars Technica.
- ^ Healey, Jon (May 11, 2005). "Yahoo Offers Subscription Service for Online Music". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Contreras, Felix (May 12, 2005). "Yahoo Announces Music Download Service". NPR.
- ^ Kim, James (August 18, 2005). "Yahoo Music Unlimited officially live". CNET.
- ^ "Yahoo Not Only Shutting Music Store, But Orphaning DRM Buyers". CBS News. July 27, 2008.
- ^ Sorrel, Charlie (July 25, 2008). "So Long, And Thanks for All the Cash: Yahoo Shuts Down Music Store and DRM Servers". Wired.
- ^ Meier, Josh (May 28, 2005). "Software Review: Yahoo Music Unlimited!". Ars Technica.
- ^ Dreier, Troy (February 21, 2007). "Yahoo! Music Unlimited". PCMag.