A new streaming music platform called Cur is on the way, and the service has paved the way for its debut by securing licensing deals with the big three music labels, Warner Music Group (WMG), Universal Music Group (UMG) and Sony. The mysterious new platform is described as a hybrid between on-demand music streaming services like Spotify and Internet radio services like Pandora.
All three of the licensing deals were struck this month, with Universal being the final of the big three to sign on Monday, Jan. 25, according to SEC filings. All of the agreements refer to the deals as limited non-exclusive digital distribution deals related to sound recordings owned by the respective music labels, with both Sony and Warner also receiving guaranteed advances, while Universal's agreement makes no mention of any such advances.
Cur's hybrid approach to streaming will focus more on the Internet radio side of things, with custom radio stations and curated playlists like those on Pandora and iHeartRadio culled from a library of over 10 million songs. Users, however, will also be able to choose a maximum of eight tracks each day, which they can listen to on-demand and swap out daily.
A social component will allow subscribers to chat and share with friends and attach messages or videos to songs prior to sharing. The streamer will have two price tiers, "Octo" at a $2.99 per month rate, or "Inked" at $6.99. The main difference between the two will be that the more expensive tier will allow for offline listening.
Interested music fans can sign up for more information on the Cur homepage, which describes the service as follows: "Start with a library of over 10 million tracks as a blend of Internet radio and on-demand streaming. Add a super cool interface with a universe of sharing, curating and social tools built in."
Listeners will be treated to a free trial subscription of an undetermined length once the streamer begins operating. No official launch date has been set, with the company only promising the service is "coming soon."
