Playlouder

Playlouder was a digital music and media company. providing news, reviews, and other music-related content. It also claimed to be the world's first music service provider— an Internet service provider bundling access to music content along with broadband Internet access.

The company also presented the world's first virtual music festival in partnership with Glastonbury Festival in 2001, and has been online partner for Glastonbury Festival since 2000, webcasting full performances from bands including Gorillaz, Blur, Basement Jaxx, The White Stripes, Orbital, Coldplay, The Flaming Lips, Sigur Rós, Franz Ferdinand, Muse, and Bloc Party.

History

Playlouder.com was founded in the UK in 2000 as a music site which provided news, reviews, and digital music delivery. In 2003, Playlouder teamed up with The state51 Conspiracy to form Playlouder MSP — an ISP offering broadband Internet access combined with unlimited legal music downloading and other music applications for a monthly subscription fee. The service licensed the right for its subscribers to legally share music and in return paid royalties to music rights owners.

Playlouder MSP was awarded the Popkomm IMEA award for innovation in 2004, later announcing deals with EMI and Sony BMG, as well as the UK indie label association AIM and the UK’s leading collection society PRS for Music. Commercial launch of the service was scheduled for the summer of 2007.

External links

• Official site at Archive.today (archived January 4, 2013)
• PlayLouder MSP at Archive.today (archived December 16, 2003)