Baboom, the music streaming service started by Kim Dotcom, has finally been released, designed as a competitor to the likes of Spotify and Apple Music.
Baboom is different than other streaming services in a number of ways, including how it compensates artists and the permissions that it gives users in how they can use music and music files.
"We have created a solution that will attract quality independent artists and labels. Greater returns, direct payments, fair trade streaming and an innovative royalty engine are some of the key factors that will drive uptake from artists," said Mikee Tucker, head of content for Baboom, in a statement.
One of the biggest selling points of the service is the fact that it allows independent artists to keep as much as 90 percent of proceeds from their music through the company's "Fair Trade Streaming" agreement. Originally, the service was envisioned as an alternative to much of the music industry, allowing musicians to distribute their music directly through the service to others. However, Dotcom, who came up with this idea, left the company in October.
For users, there are two tiers. The first is a free tier, which, like Spotify, is ad-supported. Unlike Spotify, however, the free tier only allows users to save up to 100 songs into collections that they create, and users must purchase any songs that they want to download to devices for offline use. The paid tier, which costs $10 per month, allows users to skip ads and save as many songs as they want into collections. Users who pay also have access to exclusive content. As with the free tier, paid users can also buy music that they want to download.
Another draw, especially for audiophiles, is the fact that users can stream music at a lossless quality, which is far better than the mp3 format that many use now. As Internet connections get faster, it is likely that more services will begin offering lossless audio.
We don't yet know exactly how large the Baboom music library is or how well the service will turn out to do, however, what's clear is the fact that it will appeal to musicians and artists who are looking for business models other than those offered by Spotify, Apple Music and other similar services.
Via: Fortune
