Stripe mobile radio comes to Australia
Australia's own subscription radio service, Stripe, begins today, but will it succeed in this era of internet and digital radio?
- Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
Australia's answer to satellite radio begins today with the launch of the Stripe music service, which is available from 3G phones and computers.
Stripe (stripe.com) is a network of over 30 stations each dedicated to specific genres such as greatest hits, Christian, and metal.
In a quote which we think will inevitably come back to haunt him, financial backer Glenn Wheatly — ex-Johnny Farnham cohort and tax-evading home-detainee — said that "Stripe will revolutionise radio as FM did in the 80s". We heard a similar thing at the official launch of digital radio, which probably has more chance of making a ripple on the radio surface.
Oh, and did we mention there's a subscription fee? While you can sign up for a free week of access now, an ongoing membership will cost you AU$7.95 per month.
Maybe Stripe has the potential to shake things up with a bit more promotional muscle behind it, but we think that 3G download costs will kill any enthusiasm for the product once the bills come in. Plus, internet radio is free.