App of the Week: Dash Radio Predates Apple Music's DJ-Centric Streaming, and It's Free
When Apple announced its new "Music" streaming service, one of the most talked-about features was the celebrity-curated playlists Apple teased. But Apple is not the only music service offering curated music by professional and well-known DJs.
This week we take a look at Dash Radio, a free DJ curated online radio service available on the web and for iPhone and Android.
Dash just officially launched this month with 1 million listeners after a year in beta. The music service positions itself as the underdog (it is), and promotes itself with an odd mix of rebellious and revolutionary language, considering its aim is actually rather conservative: Dash wants to resurrect the old-style DJ-centric listening experience of terrestrial radio.
In addition, it offers that experience 24/7 with no commercials, no fees, and no subscription (though you can sign up through your Facebook or Google profile, or create a Dash account if you want).
On the other hand, Dash won't use algorithms, playlists, or incorporate a music store in its service, meaning no pushy "Buy This Track" buttons. But, like old-timey radio, and unlike services like Spotify or Tidal, Dash also forgoes options to skip a track, scroll through songs, or keep tracks for offline listening.
If you like a track, Dash Radio's founder, CEO, and industry-respected radio host Scott Keeney ("DJ Skee") suggests you go buy it somewhere, like you would in the old days.
Speaking to TheVerge, Skee explained, "We don't want to compete" with streaming services that offer those features. People discover music on the radio, and if they like it they go buy it on vinvyl, or tape, or CD, or MP3, and now they're going to be streaming that album on one of those services.
"But radio has always been that place for discovery."
With that philosophy, Dash Radio seeks to turn what might be seen as a weakness -- the app offers zero algorithmic station tailoring a la Pandora -- into a strength. You can only listen to the music professional DJs are putting out there, but therefore you might discover something outside your bubble of algorithmically trained preferences.
It's the emphasis on the human element that gives Dash a unique corner on the music streaming game. That, and the fact that it's free, doesn't require an account and won't try to push you to buy anything.
Also, they've got Snoop Dogg, which is bound to help. The famous N.W.A. rapper-turned freewheeling music and media entrepreneur has his own station, called "Cadillac Music," that he DJs.
Dash Radio also features about 60 other stations curated either by musicians (Odd Future and Tech N9ne each have their own) or publications like XXL, record labels or brands. That last detail hints at how Dash Radio could monetize the service, if the subscriber base is there: you could easily imagine Nike or Urban Outfitters radio stations. EA Sports FIFA has reportedly already created a station.
As far as the app itself goes, it looks surprisingly "just-out-of-beta" given how put-together the rest of the Dash Radio system is.
For example, the monochromatic use of baby blue through every pane in the app is hard to look at after a while, and it helps nothing with navigating through the app. There's a reason why Google and Apple create design languages for apps, and why the most successful apps take advantage of them.
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