Sonos Radio launches with free channels by David Byrne, Thom Yorke
The company's first radio service includes exclusive stations by well-known artists and thousands of other radio channels.
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Looking for something new to listen to while you shelter in place or work from home? If you own a Sonos speaker, you're in luck. The audio company on Tuesday launched Sonos Radio and it's completely free. The new service includes several exclusive channels curated by well-known artists, much of it available without commercial interruption.
Sonos Radio's original programming will consist of three tiers in 128Kbps MP3 quality:
- Sonos Sound System: An ad-free station created by Sonos, featuring "new and well-known music, behind-the-scenes stories and guest artist radio hours."
- Ad-Free Artist Stations: Each features "hundreds of songs" selected by artists including Radiohead's Thom Yorke, Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, David Byrne of Talking Heads, and Third Man Records. Additional artist stations will debut regularly.
- Sonos Stations: 30-plus stations of handpicked music "based on genres most loved by Sonos customers."
Sonos Radio also includes 60,000 other ad-supported channels from TuneIn and iHeartRadio. The UK-based radio service Global and Radio.com are both "coming soon."
The catch? Sonos Radio will only be available on Sonos speakers, such as the One and Beam, and will not be usable on the go via the iOS or Android app. You will need to agree to terms of service to use the feature.
