BBC to launch free Playlister Spotify music rival? iPlayer for music?

Digital Music, Tech Digest news
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bbcThumb.jpgNow here’s an interesting, somewhat unexpected, story doing the rounds today. Apparently, the BBC are putting together a new music streaming service, rumoured to be called Playlister.

Building on the brand awareness and loyalty they’ve deservedly earned with iPlayer, Playlister would see the Beeb offering up their sizeable archive of tracks up for free to any licence fee payer.

Though such a service would put the BBC in competition with the likes of Spotify, Deezer and Napster, the Daily Telegraph are claiming that the BBC are actually in negotiations with those services, in an attempt to offset the large cost of securing rights to some music they wish to offer up to users of Playlister.

Such partnerships would also help the BBC to fight back against those set to claim the broadcasting giant is using public funding to compete against commercial companies.

Being headed by Tim Davie, BBC’s director of Audio & Music, the service is tipped to land between the end of this year and early 2013.

More on this story as it develops.

Via: Telegraph.co.uk

Gerald Lynch
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