Assets: Last.fm
As expected since CBS purchased Last.fm nearly a year ago, Last.fm and CBS Radio announced a strategic partnership to expand the audience-reach of both. The online streams of CBS Radio’s 140 radio stations will be available to the U.S. audience of Last.fm, a music and social-networking site. Online listeners to any CBS stations will also be able to shift seamlessly to Last.fm, where they can play individual songs for free.
A staggered rollout of CBS Radio’s streams to Last.fm is underway.
The deal between CBS Radio and Last.fm is part of the radio group’s strategy to distribute the content of its radio stations across as many channels as possible. In March, CBS Radio, which has about 1 million weekly online listeners, agreed to combine its online forces with AOL Radio’s online streams, making CBS Radio’s content available to an additional 1.36 million listeners. The two also agreed to introduce a new, interactive player with time-shifting and other on-demand features.
“This is an inventive way for CBS Radio to expand its streaming campaign by adding another tremendous distribution platform,” said Dan Mason, president and CEO for CBS Radio. “This content and distribution power between these brands is incredible, and we’re tapping into that strength to greatly expand our digital footprints while significantly improving the user experience of all our platforms.”
About Last.fm
Last.fm is a music service that learns what you love…
Every track you play will tell your Last.fm profile something about what you like. It can connect you to other people who like what you like – and recommend songs from their music collections and yours too.…and as you use Last.fm, you make it better for you and everyone else.
When you recommend some music to a friend, or you tag it, or you write about it – even just listening to it – you shift the song’s importance on the site. It’ll be recommended to different people, because you’ve listened to it. It’ll move up our music charts and maybe more people will hear it because you thought it was good.
