As reported on the cover of this week's Music Week, a new streaming device and accompanying service was launched at a press conference at BAFTA today.
The Electric Jukebox Company offers a plug and play, wifi-enabled HDMI stick for your TV that "instantly turns your TV into a jukebox" with access to millions of songs.
It also features a gesture-based controller (pictured) with built-in microphone featuring voice control.
The company, led by CEO Rob Lewis, believes that it can take streaming mainstream with its offering. Electric Jukebox is available to pre-order from www.electricjukebox.com from today at the UK RRP of £179, which includes a free 12 month Premium Music Pass, which will cost £60 a year thereafter.
While exact details of licensing agreements and catalogue have not yet been announced, the company said that it has full support from the music industry, including key independent players, details of which are yet to be announced.
And as revealed in this week's Music Week, the company has several high profile entertainment figures on board, including Stephen Fry and Robbie Williams, both of whom appeared in videos at the launch to announce that they would be curating playlists, or "mixtapes" for the service.
Alesha Dixon was present at the launch event to endorse the product and to take part in a round table Q&A with Lewis and members of the advisory board, including Brits founder Rob Dickins and David Munns OBE.
Said Rob Lewis, CEO of Electric Jukebox Company: “We want to bring music back into people’s living rooms. Rather than huddling around a laptop or smartphone to play music, or being forced to rely on old CDs and radio, we’ve created a music device that is simple and easy to use and which works straight out of the box.
"Whilst some may be comfortable with Spotify and Apple Music and spending hours configuring these services on specialist streaming devices, the vast majority of consumers really want something that works instantly, out of the box, without a monthly subscription or credit card. That’s what we’ve created. Mass market streaming has finally become a reality.
“There used to be 200 million people buying CDs every month and many more buying CDs occasionally. After ten years of streaming only 40m have converted to streaming subscription services because of complexity, set-up difficulty and because of the fear of recurring credit card based subscriptions.
"The Electric Jukebox is the product for the other 160m music lovers out there who want to join the revolution but have been waiting for something fun, stylish and easy to use. Electric Jukebox gives you an Internet of Things for music – the modern hifi – for the whole family to share – the streaming equivalent of a radio or a fridge freezer – plug in and play, literally. You can set it up in less than two minutes”.
The Electric Jukebox Board and Advisory Board includes:
Sir Malcolm Williamson, chairman, previously president & CEO, VISA International, previously Group CEO, Standard Chartered
Paul McGuinness, previously manager of U2
Rob Dickins CBE, previously CEO, Warner Music, founder of The Brits
David Munns OBE, chairman of Nordoff Robins, previously president & CEO, EMI Americas
Alain Levy, previously global president & CEO, EMI Music
Scooter Weintraub, manager of Sheryl Crow
James White, previously finance director, Island Records
Amanda Conroy, previously SVP corporate communications, EMI, Universal Music Group
Mark Gretton, founder and previously COO of TomTom
Susanne Given, previously COO of Super Group, previously UK MD TK Maxx
Jez Bell, Chief licensing officer, PPL
Michael Mainelli, excecutive chairman, Z/Yen Group
Peter Cornell, previously global managing partner, Clifford Chance
Stephen Hornsby, partner, Goodman Derrick
Ken Daly, CEO, JML
Mark Atkinson, director TP Tax, previously, Partner, Deloitte