“And for others, their friends don’t share their taste, and that’s challenging. “There are people that find things through their friends,” Cady said. Our stations are actually built by people, and it’s completely different than either of those services.”Īnd here we get to the crux of the matter: Should online radio be driven by recommendations from friends and computer algorithms or, as it was in the grand old days of real radio, by taste-making DJs with impeccable ears and high levels of access to new, amazing music? And we do it differently than Pandora, a blend of technology and human curation.

We’re really focused on a lean-back radio experience. “Spotify is very focused on on-demand, lean-forward service. “We feel very competitive in the space,” he told us. We asked Cady how the older, wiser Slacker was prepared to compete with tech darlings like Pandora, Spotify and their ilk. There are a lot of places where people congregate to explore, and Aol is one of those places.”Ĭurrently, Slacker has more than 30 million registered users and around 400,000 paying subscribers. “I think this is a first step in a larger approach for us,” said Cady of the partnership’s affect on Slacker’s audience.

It will also come with 50 percent less advertising, new custom artist stations, ESPN Radio, ABC News and a handful of other features. The relaunched Aol Radio features a Slacker interface. “We have comedy, sports, news - it’s a little more like true radio,” he said. First, Cady noted that Slacker is “keenly interested in building a complete radio service, not just music,” something that differentiates both Slacker and Aol Radio from the headline-making competition.

Download aol slacker radio station