Songl music streaming app closed with focus shifted to brand music solutions
The consortium behind music streaming app Songl has shut down the service after less than 18 months, after failing to gain traction in the crowded and competitive Australian market.
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) and partners Sony Music and Universal Music today confirmed subscribers and trial members would be moved to the Omny app service, which will focus on “international expansion” from its Melbourne base.
The Digital Music Distribution consortium, which is being rebranded as Songl Solutions, and will offer music streaming solutions and live music events for brands as part of a business to business refocus.
In a statement they said the new entity would also focus on its “core business” of supplying linear music streams to Foxtel’s 32 music channels and Satellite Music Australia.
A statement from SCA said: “Songl was a consumer-facing music streaming service we have jointly been committed to for the past two years. However, all stakeholders have moved their focus from this service into other music and content-based commitments that will enable each stakeholder to diversify their offering.
“Songl will ensure the transition from the platform for its trialists and subscribers will be seamless.”
It is the second streaming service to disappear from the Australian market after Deezer closed its local operation in February, with international entrants like Pandora and Spotify dominating the audience share. Songl had offered both a premium offering for $12.99 per month, and a free ad-funded version.
Songl was relaunched in March 2013 with the shareholders saying it had been developed “for the Australian market”, with Mark Shaw the CEO of DMD telling B&T at the time: “”We are not just a standard streaming service in that we are very focused on our content beyond just music tracks.
“We’ve gone out and built a video player and we’ve got a real focus on creation of content by experts. Creation of content by artists and stars which is a huge part of what we do. We are working really closely with them.”
In its statement today SCA says Omny is a mobile app which is the “first truly personalised radio products that mixes premium broadcast content from radio personalities with the music the mobile user has access to, in a beautiful app environment”.
Omny has been operating as a beta test in Melbourne since January, with SCA taking a stake in parent company 1-2-1 Cast.
At the time Clive Dickens, SCA’s head of digital, told Mumbrella: “Omny has no SCA streams, it allows you to create your own personal content, from whatever you want, so you can listen to Fifi and Jules, or Hamish and Andy, and listen to rock music in between if that’s what you like.
“We believe radio is not just about music, it’s about all the other content. It’s differentiated by the personalities or the news or sport shows. What makes your radio station unique is all the other stuff between the songs.”
Guy Dobson, SCA chief content officer said: “The new future of SCA has an increased focus on music, understanding the role it plays for consumers and brands alike.
“The partner combination currently in place with Omny is strong and we are also looking forward to a year of success driven out of product innovation to achieve boundary-pushing business experiences that give brands direct access to music solutions.”
Alex Hayes
topics
Clive Dickens
content
Deezer
Guy Dobson
Mark Shaw
music
Omny
Pandora
SCA
Songl
Sony Music
Southern Cross Austere
Southern Cross Austereo
Spotify
streaming
Universal Music
“The partner combination currently in place with Omny is strong and we are also looking forward to a year of success driven out of product innovation to achieve boundary-pushing business experiences that give brands direct access to music solutions.” – I’m going to need a translation for this.
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Guess I’ll go back to bitteorrent to get my tunes. Us Aussies are sick of being screwed around in this space !!!!!
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Songl was never going to work up against the likes of Spotify. A refocus of the strategy is a good idea.
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Back in 2012, the Australian Radio Network CEO offered Austereo to be a partner on iHeartRADIO for free. All they had to do is make their 50+ nation wide live radio streams available to be on iHeartRADIO & they both companies would promote the service.
Austereo didn’t want a bare of it & thought Songl would change streaming listening.
Songl’s death is a win for iHeartRADIO & shows how much money Austereo can burn.
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Every digital product developed by a Major Record Label consortium has appeared to crash in a heap over the last decade – remember download sites Duet, Pressplay or MusicNet?
Would have thought a focus on creating and promoting music, not producing world class consumer software experiences would be the way to go.
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Great to read your comment Brad King, public affirmation of SCA’s wrong-footed decisions are always welcome. I am a shareholder, was aware of this and very disappointed at the way SCA passed up the opportunity.
Traditional media needs to band together in this era of new media to transform themselves, compete on content by all means, but end competition of duplicitous platforms.
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