Last.fm Radio Drops Free Service to Mobile and Home Entertainment Users
Today the CBS backed Last.fm announced on their blog that they would dropping their free service to mobile apps and home entertainment devices in favor of a subscription based model.
The Last.fm service will remain free for users of the website, Xbox Live, Windows 7 mobile phones, and users of the desktop application. Users looking for continued premium streaming support will now be asked to pay $3 per month or $36 per year, just like rival Pandora users.
Last.fm alludes that keeping up with the costs of expensive streaming is a losing battle, given their lack of an ad sales team to offset the costs. Which makes sense and is the same reason why 80% of Pandora’s employees are part of their in-house ad sales team.
The reality here is that there are currently a dozen ways to get free radio online and just like there wasn’t room for a dozen online pet stores five years ago, there isn’t room for a dozen free streaming services today.
This kind of news is simply another opportunity for Sirius XM to pounce on. As refugees of other online music services look for a new home and perhaps more bang for their buck, Sirius XM needs to be there to welcome them with open arms… before someone else does.
We need a SiriusXM Windows Phone 7 App now.
One reason not to pay for anything with a credit card over the phone . . . Sirius satellite radio.
Paid over the phone on 2009 and now that it’s 2011 and I no longer have a satellite radio they took it upon themselves to clear my bank account of over $125.00. These crooks are the reason that this country has a ban on Monopolies!!
{The reality here is that there are currently a dozen ways to get free radio online and just like there wasn’t room for a dozen online pet stores five years ago, there isn’t room for a dozen free streaming services today.}
An excellent way to put it! While Sirius will continue it’s distribution monopoly model for cars, it will also gain a further foot-hold in the internet streaming platform, while the others (Pandora, Slacker,etc) continue to fight for survival in a world where their castle doesn’t have a moat to protect them.
When is sat. comercial free, tv comming ? All you see is comercials any more . I would gladly pay a subscription fee,
Tivo. For a small subscription fee you can skip commercials to your hearts content.