New Music Service Focuses on Social Media

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A Los Angeles startup called urRadio is aiming to bridge the gap between social media platforms and streaming music services.

The company’s Web and mobile platform, which launched today, allows users to create and stream personalized radio stations curated from its library of more than 30 million songs and share playlists with others on Facebook and Twitter. Hosts can also use a microphone to broadcast live over the Internet.

Listeners can search for individual songs, albums or artists and stations, or receive recommendations based on their favorite types of music.

“Our platform offers that which is absent in other music streaming services – live, original content free of the geographical listening limitations of traditional FM radio,” said Chief Executive Tyler Francois, in a statement.

A unique aspect of urRadio’s business model is that the service is free to use and contains no ads. The company hopes to make money through a series of premium broadcasting and DJ features that are scheduled to roll out over the next year.

A company spokesman declined to mention what those features are or how much they will cost.

As a way to build buzz for the service, urRadio has reached out to popular social media influencers on YouTube and Vine, each with millions of followers, as well as athletes and DJs, to serve as featured hosts.

UrRadio was originally founded in 2013 by a team of former engineers from Yahoo Inc.’s music division.

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