Streaming music service Radical.FM launched a new iOS app today, providing users with access to more than 22 million songs at no cost and with no advertising. Rather than charging a subscription fee, Radical.FM asks its customers to "pay what you can" for the service.

radicalfm
While Radical.FM is similar to Pandora in that it allows users to create personalized stations, Radical.FM's content is centralized around genres rather than specific songs and artists. Users can select a percentage of each genre to listen to in one station, creating a playlist that mixes a variety of content.

Radical.FM is a complete music and audio content delivery service with unique features and controls. Unlike other services, Radical’s Stations do not "guess" what you might like based on song choices and subjective computer parameters. Instead, Radical divides its library into Genres and allows you to blend as many as desired and assign each a value relative to the others. Blending can be changed instantaneously, creating an endless stream of precisely the kind of music and other material toy want to hear at any given moment.

In addition to allowing users to create genre-based playlists, the app also includes tools for blocking unwanted songs and artists and functionality that lets users add and delete genres and adjust genre values.

Radical.FM is a universal app that can be downloaded for free. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

unplugme71 Avatar
154 months ago
I rather pay by how much I listen too. This is why I no longer pay for cable tv, xm radio, or music subscriptions.

I used to have two cars with xm. I was only driving my second car 1-2x a week. Of those 1-2x a week, I mostly listened to my iPod. Yet I was paying $7/mo for xm as a second radio. That's really expensive!

Instead, I turned to pay per tv episode, pay per movie, pay per song. It's cheaper for me and I get what I want, when I want, and how I want. I control everything.

The point of cable tv was no commercials. The point of xm was no commercials. Both play commercials. Both charge a lot of money even if you only watch/listen to it for 2 hours a week.

This method is no longer appealing to our generation.

----------

What is the deal for the artists (and/or labels, for that matter)? If everyone chooses to pay "zero", how do artists get paid?

This all sounds too good to be true.

The company will get a big fat bill. Can't pay it and shutdown. The end. NEXT!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnysods Avatar
154 months ago
An honor system? Good luck guys.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NewbieCanada Avatar
154 months ago
What incentive does anyone have to pay for this? iTunes radio, for example, gives you a commercial-free experience if you pay for iTunes match.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DrMotownMac Avatar
154 months ago
"Pay what you can???"

So, in other words, when I ask them, "How much is this service?"
They answer, "How much you got?"
"No, I'm asking YOU, 'How much is it?'"
"And we're asking you, 'How much you got?!'"

Where have I heard this before? Oh yeah....

National Lampoon's Vacation "& I'm askin' you how much you got?!" (http://youtu.be/yMf5dvUlYko)

Interesting business model.... :rolleyes:
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gasu E. Avatar
154 months ago
What is the deal for the artists (and/or labels, for that matter)? If everyone chooses to pay "zero", how do artists get paid?

This all sounds too good to be true.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclo Avatar
154 months ago
22 million songs at no cost and with no advertising. Rather than charging a subscription fee, Radical.FM asks its customers to "pay what you can" for the service.

Lol wat? I cant pay anything do I still get all the goodies?

Yes.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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