A new digital music service called Slacker aims to bring you radio in a way you’ve never experienced it before. Slacker is launching a web-based radio service that will bring music to your computer, and coming this summer is a portable media player from Slacker that promises to deliver music wherever you go [source: CNET News]. Slacker’s not exactly traditional radio though — the Slacker twist is that you can personalize their service by telling it what you want to hear, and what you don’t.
Radio Your Way
Slacker plans to set itself apart from traditional, satellite and Internet radio by letting listeners personalize the service with positive and negative feedback. Both the Slacker Jukebox and the Slacker Portable Player feature “Heart” and “Ban” buttons. Press the heart button to tell Slacker that you like the current song, and you’ll be more likely to hear it again. It’ll also save into your personal library. Can’t stand the current selection? Hit the “ban” button, and you’ll never hear it again.
The Slacker Portable Player retrieves music over satellite and WiFi connections, but doesn’t require them in order to operate. The Slacker service is able to store tracks for later playback, and update itself whenever you move into an area with a signal.
Free and Subscription-based Slacker Plans
Slacker plans to deliver ad-supported music for free, and offer an ad-free version of the service as a subscription plan. Listeners without a subscription will see video ads in the web jukebox and on their Slacker Portable Player’s screen, while those who pay the $7.50 monthly fee will have an ad-free experience. Non-paying listeners will also be limited to six “bans” per hour.
The Slacker Portable Player will cost between $149 — $299, about the same price as an iPod nano.
Evolution, Innovation, or What?
David Card, senior research analyst at JupiterResearch, is quoted by CNET News as saying “… Slacker’s product seems a logical next step in the evolution of digital music listening”. Is Slacker really an evolution in digital music?
Slacker’s feedback system is a real improvement on the traditional concept of radio. What’s more, considering the way Slacker’s heart/ban interface promises to allow users to simplistically and intuitively control their listening experience, I can’t help but think of how easy the iPod clickwheel made it for me to navigate reams of artists, albums, tracks and genres.
Slacker might have a real innovation on their hands. As a long-time music collector, I have hundreds of CDs and thousands of MP3s in my library. I have always been a play-back listener, going from the Walkman, to the Discman, to the iPod. In other words, I am not among Slacker’s target audience. I was never into FM radio, nor drawn to satellite radio, but Slacker just might draw me in. I won’t switch, but I may listen.
Does an innovation imply an evolution? Not always, and not in Slacker’s case. There people who enjoy listening to the radio, and there are people who enjoy listening to their music collections. You can’t change people. Slacker is a new type of digital music player, and it sounds like a good one at that, but it’s not an evolution of the general concept of a digital music player. I might listen in on Slacker, but I won’t ditch my iPod.
What would be an evolution of the digital music player? Suppose I store my music library on my iPod, and pick up a Slacker Portable Player for those times when I want to hear something new. I’ve already got a cell phone, keys, and wallet consuming real estate in my pockets. I’m not going to carry around a Slacker Player and an iPod. I don’t even want to choose between the two every time I take a walk or get in my car.
What if I could carry around both concepts, in once device? What if I had a digital music player with a clickwheel and heart/ban buttons. Many portable cassette and CD players also picked up AM and FM radio. How about a portable music player that manages my library as well as the iPod does, and delivers a personal satellite/Internet radio experience in the way that Slacker claims to. I’d ditch my iPod for that.
What do you think of Slacker’s idea? Innovation, evolution, or what? If you’ve got an opinion, leave a comment.
