As part of Microsoft’s recent cuts, the software giant is dropping Nokia MixRadio, the music streaming service that has long been a Windows Phone exclusive. It’s far from dead yet, however. MixRadio will fight, and it’s expanding to Android and iOS to take on the big guns.
MixRadio hasn’t exactly been a huge success for Nokia, but availability only on Lumia smartphones certainly won’t have helped its user base expand much. By branching out to other platforms, it has a better chance of competing against other radio streaming services like Pandora and iHeartRadio — and that’s exactly what MixRadio hopes to do.
“Basically, we’re planning a spin-off,” explained MixRadio chief Jyrki Rosenberg during a chat with The Guardian. “The opportunity in this kind of setup is vast,” he added, referring to plans to launch on Android and iOS, “and it’s much greater than what we’ve been able to benefit from today.”
Rosenberg and his team have been looking for investors who can help make MixRadio a success for the past few weeks, and they already have “strong interest” from Asia, Europe, and the U.S. With no deal in place just yet, however, it’s likely to be a while before we see new apps for new platforms.
MixRadio for Windows Phone is currently available in 31 countries and has “millions” of customers, Nokia says, without being too specific. Basic functionality is free and without advertising, but users can pay a small monthly fee for high-quality tracks, unlimited skips, and the ability to store playlists locally.
MixRadio wasn’t the only thing to be given the boot by Microsoft; it has announced it won’t make any more Android-powered Nokia X handsets, and it is shutting down Xbox Entertainment Studios. The company will also lose 18,000 staff.
Source: The Guardian,
