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T-Mobile launches Rhapsody-powered ‘unRadio’ music streaming service

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As part of its Un-carrier 5.0 (or, Un-carrier 6.0?) event, T-Mobile tonight announced its first foray into the music streaming space, a partnership with Rhapsody called “unRadio.” 

The new service, much like T-Mobile’s other moves tonight, intends to tackle what the company is calling the “pain points” of music streaming. It allows you to replay songs as much as you want, skip as many songs as you wish, and has a library of over 20 million tracks. The newly announced “unRadio” is also completely devoid of the ads that are common as part of most music streaming services.

For customers that have one of the more expensive unlimited data plans, unRadio will be completely free. For those that have one of the lower-tier plans, the service will be available for $4 per month. The service will be available, starting June 22nd, on both iOS and Android.

Also announced tonight is a movement T-Mobile is calling “Music Freedom” which is basically the “unRadio” of other services. Customers streaming music via Pandora, iHeart Radio, iTunes Radio, Rhapsody, Spotify, Slacker, and Milk Music will be able to listen as much as they want with absolutely no toll on the limit of their data plan. Notably, now-owned-by-Apple Beats Music and Google’s Play Music are missing from the list.

Scroll down for the full press release…

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SEATTLE, June 18, 2014 – With customers now spending more time streaming music than ever before, T-Mobile US, Inc. (NYSE: TMUS) today announced a set of groundbreaking initiatives designed to both un-leash music in America and put its network’s data muscle on display.

Now, T-Mobile has put an Un-carrier spin on Internet radio, working with Internet music pioneer Rhapsody. The two companies are introducing unRadio, a new music service that eliminates the biggest customer pain points associated with traditional Internet radio. Traditional Internet radio interrupts you with ads, limits skips, and chooses your music for you. But, unRadio music streaming is completely ad-free, lets you skip all you want, and you can choose your music and replay your favorites anytime — all from a catalog of more than 20 million songs.

Starting this Monday, June 23, T Mobile is giving unRadio — at absolutely no extra cost — to Simple Choice customers on its newest unlimited 4G LTE data service. In addition, unRadio will be available at a discounted price of $4 per month for other T-Mobile customers.

“This new music streaming service is so unlike traditional Internet radio, there was only one possible name for it — unRadio,” said Mike Sievert, Chief Marketing Officer for T-Mobile. “We wanted to do something over the top for our customers, so we teamed up with our friends across town at Rhapsody to do what the Un-carrier does so well — turning convention on its head to benefit our customers.”

Rhapsody unRadio’s features read like a wish list for streaming music listeners:

§  Ad-free listening: While traditional Internet radio interrupts you with ads, with unRadio your music streams ad-free.

§  Unlimited skips: While traditional Internet radio limits you to six skips per hour, unRadio lets you skip as much as you like.

§  Choose the music you want: While traditional Internet radio chooses your music for you, unRadio lets you choose your music. When you hear a song you love on unRadio, you can mark it as a favorite and automatically save it for later listening. You can stream these songs on-demand or download them to enjoy anywhere — even without a connection.

§  Create your own stations (or listen to ours): Listen to hundreds of professionally programmed stations, or create your own stations based on the songs or artists you love.

§  Live streaming radio from your hometown or around the world: unRadio offers live streaming radio from thousands of terrestrial stations in the U.S., including KCRW in Los Angeles, KEXP in Seattle, and Chicago’s WXRT, among others, and from thousands of stations around the world.

§  ID songs anywhere with TrackMatch: Rhapsody unRadio includes a new feature, TrackMatch, you can use to identify songs you hear while out at a bar, ballgame, party or even on TV, and create stations around these songs or save them as favorites for later listening.

“Rhapsody unRadio gives music listeners an unbeatable combination: uninterrupted music with the ability to save and listen to their favorite songs anywhere,” said Paul Springer, senior vice president for the Americas at Rhapsody. “We’re excited to partner with the Un-carrier to launch unRadio for music lovers. Together, we’ve created a better Internet radio.”

Rhapsody unRadio will be available initially for iOS and Android and on the Web. For more information about unRadio, please visit Rhapsody.com. For more information on this and other Un-carrier 5.0 and 6.0 programs, please visit the

T-Mobile Newsroom.

Limited time offer; subject to change. Qualifying Simple Choice plan & capable device required. Radio station streaming may contain radio ads. Service provided at no extra cost as long as you maintain your qualifying Simple Choice Unlimited 4G LTE plan. See T-Mobile.com for service list and details.

About T-Mobile US, Inc.

As America’s Un-carrier, T-Mobile US, Inc. (NYSE: TMUS) is redefining the way consumers and businesses buy wireless services through leading product and service innovation. The company’s advanced nationwide 4G and 4G LTE network delivers outstanding wireless experiences for customers who are unwilling to compromise on quality and value. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile US provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile and MetroPCS. It currently serves approximately 49.1 million wireless subscribers and provides products and services through approximately 70,000 points of distribution, including approximately 8,000 T-Mobile and MetroPCS branded locations and 62,000 third-party locations, as well as distribution through our websites. For more information, please visit http://www.t-mobile.com.

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Comments

  1. vmax - 10 years ago

    The Rhapsody unRadio pricing is not competitive. For iTunes Radio, it is $25/year including iTunes Match for commercial free radio. unRadio is $48/year. It is also $120/year as a subscription service for all music, exactly the same as many other services. Some services also offer $99/year discount price.

    • Derek Wildstar - 10 years ago

      its not *just* commercial free for comparison, you forgot you an select any track you want, you can also skip unlimited – you don’ get those on the ones you mentioned. Also this one is free if you have unlimited data on T-Mobile, or $4.99 a month (which is less than the 99 a year discount you described as being better)

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Avatar for Stephen Hall Stephen Hall

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