Slacker Radio Bets on Content: Expands Non-Music Programing With Launch of Sound Bytes

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - Mar 29, 2017) - Slacker Radio, a leading Internet radio service, today announced Slacker Sound Bytes as part of its continued effort to reinvent radio and bridge the music and storytelling divide. By combining the voice and personality of broadcast, with the convenience and control of digital, Slacker is the first music service to incorporate non-music, customizable content into its experience for all listeners.

Slacker Sound Bytes can be heard across the entire service in the form of Hosts, Music News, Headline News and Sports Headlines; including hourly updates from ABC News. The Sound Bytes complement Slacker's music programming and are tailored to the user's listening habits, allowing them to opt in and out of hearing this content based on their preference.

"There's a lot of opportunity for innovation around lean-back listening, and our mission has always been to create the best possible audio experience by combining music with news and storytelling," said Kevin Stapleford, VP Programming, Slacker Radio. "Part of this includes building stations that incorporate non-music content and that's the crux of what we're announcing today with Sound Bytes."

With Slacker Sound Bytes, listeners are presented with a deeper, richer, more customized audio experience. Examples of Sound Bytes a listener may hear include:

• Slacker's lead news correspondent, Red, providing a daily recap of the biggest stories in music from her studio in Seattle, with her own unique spin and commentary.
• Nashville correspondent, Jess Wright, hits the streets of Music City utilizing the voices of country music fans, movers-and-shakers and top artists.
• Raymond T, Slacker's daily host for "Hip Hop Minute," features sixty seconds of news detailing what's bubbling below the surface of the Hip Hop/R&B scene.
• Artists ranging from John Legend to Luke Bryan to The Black Keys play "Guest DJ," introducing their favorite songs and the stories behind them.

"The majority of people still consume music through traditional radio, and a large part of what makes broadcast successful is the commentary and personalities that accompany the music," continued Stapleford. "This has remained true during our initial rollout of Sound Bytes, where 99% of our users have opted to leave the 'hosts' option on to be a part of their daily listening experience."

Slacker Radio is available in three pricing tiers -- Basic (free), Plus ($3.99/month) and Premium ($9.99/month). For more information about Slacker, or to listen for free, visit www.slacker.com. The free app for iOS or Android can be downloaded by visiting the iTunes or Google Play stores.

About Slacker
Slacker Radio is next-generation personalized radio, allowing music lovers to choose from the broadest selection of human-curated music, news and sports stations that are personalized to their taste. Listeners can also create their own stations from a catalog of songs 10 times as large as the leading service. Slacker can be accessed for free from virtually any mobile device and most new car models.