New specialist music streaming platform, jazzed, launches in the UK

A new jazz-centric streaming platform called jazzed has launched in the UK.

Claimed to be ‘the world’s first dedicated audio-visual streaming destination for jazz’, the service features audio channels, exclusive video content, podcasts, documentaries and interviews.

The service was co-founded by former Jazz FM boss Jonathan Arendt (CEO), digital tech music pioneer Frank Taubert (COO) and former Bertelsmann and Sony Music executive Marcel Engh (CMO).

The platform’s video content will offer music videos, artist interviews, live concerts and sessions while its editorial content will be drawn from a variety of sources led by an exclusive relationship with US jazz publication JAZZIZ, whose archive of in-depth features, interviews and album reviews is second to none.

Licensing terms have been agreed with all the major labels as well as with PPL representing the independents.

“There’s strong evidence that mainstream streaming services are not meeting the needs of specialist music fans.”

Jonathan Arendt, Jazzed

The company is launching its app with two tiers, ‘jazzed’, an ad-funded freemium tier with 10 audio channels and comprehensive video and editorial offering, and ‘jazzed+’, a premium tier priced at £5.99 a month which offers 40+ audio channels and exclusive video and editorial.

A third tier, ‘jazzed premium,’ will launch later this year featuring exclusive content, HD quality audio.

Jazzed will be available on iOS, web player and via SONOS at launch.

Jazzed CEO Jonathan Arendt, said: “There’s strong evidence that mainstream streaming services are not meeting the needs of specialist music fans.

“We know that jazz listeners are interested in a deeper experience than offered by mainstream platforms and believe that jazzed, with its rich artist meta-data, HD audio quality, premium video content and beautifully curated channels is the solution.”Music Business Worldwide