Music Choice
| Ownership | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Music Choice |
Music Choice is a U.S. company that programs music and produces music-related content for digital cable, cell phones, and cable modem subscribers in the US. Music Choice programs dozens of audio music channels for digital cable subscribers, as well as programs and produces music-related content for on-demand customers with access to Music Choice On-Demand. Music Choice also offers video and audio music programming for cell phone customers through Sprint Nextel and AT&T Wireless Services. Music Choice recently launched a new interactive music video network called SWRV.
Many digital cable and telcocompanies carry Music Choice, including Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Verizon FiOS, Grande Communications, and Bright House Networks. DirecTV discontinued Music Choice on November 15, 2005, and now offers XM Satellite Radio channels. Other companies offer similar audio services for commercial customers, such as Muzak and DMX. On July 10, 2006, Music Choice revamped their appearance and added new graphics and new backgrounds for digital cable. On April 1, 2009, the text has changed, and the background has changed to a high quality experience for digital cable and Verizon FiOS headends.
History
Music Choice (formerly known as Digital Cable Radio) was the first digital audio broadcast service in the world and, under its founder and CEO David Del Beccaro, launched in test markets in circa 1987. From its inception as an 8 channel audio service from Motorola's cable group (then General Instrument), Music Choice has evolved into a multi-platform interactive music network based in New York City that reaches millions of consumers across the country. Music Choice is a partnership owned by Comcast Cable Communications, Time Warner, Cox Communications, EMI Music, Microsoft Corporation, Motorola, Inc., and Sony Corporation of America.
In many cases, recording a music channel with a digital video recorder is specifically not allowed by Music Choice in order to address music piracy concerns, which is a rare audio-only use of the DRM broadcast flag.
Music Choice On Demand
Music Choice's offers free Video on demand content, including hundreds of multi-genre music videos from established and emerging artists. Music Choice On Demand also features exclusive original programming:
- Choice Cuts - Exclusive footage featuring popular artists
- Demanded - Featuring the top On Demand music videos, celebrity gossip, and exclusive artists interviews
- Certified - Interactive music program where the fans decide which featured artist is Certified
- Video Playlists - Themed playlists hosted by popular recording artists
Nielsen Measurement
Music Choice is the first ad-supported Video on demand network to be measured by Nielsen Media Research's video on demand measurement service. Audience demographics are based on Nielsen's national people meter data.[1]
Music Choice Online
As of August 2007, Music Choice began offering a free broadband music service to its cable partners for use by their cable-modem subscribers. Music Choice's free broadband music site offers subscribers access to all the same music channels available on its TV network, in addition to several online exclusives. Additional features include the ability to watch thousands of music videos and Music Choice Originals (listed below). This service is currently available to Comcast, Cox Communications and Time Warner, Cablevision, Grande and Conway cable-modem subscribers. The web site relaunched on February 10, 2010 featuring a brand new interface.
Online Limits
- Audio stations, all the which are also available on TV, are not customizable. They once offered online customizable audio stations but this had to be discontinued due to bandwidth issues. [citation needed]
- Banner ads are visible unless the video stations are maximized. The ads change every few seconds. Audio stations cannot be maximized. Ads cannot be blocked.
- Pause, skip, rewind, and playback are unavailable on audio stations, as all of them are also TV channels. Stopping is possible, but it will not pause the song. A user may pause a video by pressing the (II) button. Skipping is possible by dragging the tiny bar that moves across the red line indicating the time left. The last few seconds will be played, however. Stopping and skipping are impossible in maximized mode. Playback is possible for videos, as is rewind. To do this, one must drag the bar back to the desired spot.
- Commercial interruptions for video stations.
- As the stations are also TV stations, play-on-demand is not provided
- As of April 15, 2009, online exclusive stations are no longer provided
Online Exclusives
Prior to April 15, 2009, Music Choice provided online exclusive pre-programmed stations.
ShowOff
Music Choice has added user interactive functionality to select music channels during the hours of 3pm to 10pm EST (12:00 PM to 7:00 PM PDT) on Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Viewers can send in photos and short text messages via mobile phone, e-mail, AOL Instant Messenger and Music Choice's ShowOff Web Page [2]. This feature is available on the Hit List, Rock, MC Mixtape, Today's Country, HipHop and R&B, and Musica Urbana channels, and may expand to other channels in the future. This feature launched on August 23, 2008. Instructions on how to use this feature run on screen and are also available on Music Choice's ShowOff Web Page [3].
Music Choice Music Channels
Music Choice's audio music channels provide continuous uninterrupted music streaming on all its stations. In lieu of commercial advertising, banner ads are featured on every station. Music choice offers various stations across multiple genres. While a song is playing, artist, song and album information appears on screen as well as trivia facts and artist photos.
All of Music Choice's programming is entirely music, with no talk, commercials or even bumpers. An unrelated service, the CRN Digital Talk Radio Networks, provides a complementary slate of talk radio channels to cable providers.
List of television channels (according to the website)
(Lineup effective April 15, 2009)[4]
Classical
Country
Dance
Instrumentals
Jazz & Blues
Latin
Pop
Religious
Rock
- Adult Alternative- uncensored
- Alternative- uncensored
- Classic Alternative - uncensored; mix of grunge, punk, new wave, college rock, and synthpop
- Classic rock- has a "2Fer" block each weekend similar to VH1 Classic's Tuesday TwoPlay, where back-to-back songs from the same artist will be played.
- Metal- uncensored
- Retro Rock- mix of arena rock and modern rock
- Rock- 90s to present
Urban
- R&B Classics
- R&B Soul
- Hip-Hop and R&B
- Hip-Hop Classics- extends into the mid 90s
- Throwback Jamz
- Rap- uncensored
Variety
- Kidz Only! (pop music for kids)
- Toddler Tunes (contemporary children's music; includes lullabies played at night)
- Reggae
- MC MixTape (various up-tempo "non-stop mixes")
- Sounds of the Seasons
- Mardi Gras
- Valentine's Day
- St.Patrick's Day
- Cinco De Mayo
- Various patriotic holidays
- Oktoberfest
- Halloween (October 19 to 31)
- Christmas (runs from November 1 through January 5)
- The Pulse (during non-holiday hours)
Vocal/Theatrical
- Stage & Screen- showtunes, film scores, songs from films, and TV theme songs
- Singers & Swing- Big band, Swing & Adult standards
Defunct channels
- Radio Disney (replaced by Kidz Only!)
- Arena Rock (replaced by Retro Rock)
- Retro Active (replaced by Classic Alternative)
- Bluegrass
- Opera
- Showtunes (Replaced by Stage & Screen)
- Music Choice Showcase
- Old School Rap (replaced by Hip Hop Classics)
- Classic Disco (replaced by MC MixTapes)
- Dance and Electronica (merged)
- International Love Songs
- Rock en Espanol (replaced by Romances)
- New Wave (replaced by Retro-Active)
- Americana (replaced by True Country)
- Lite Rock (replaced with Soft Rock)
- Adult Top 40 (merged into and replaced with Pop Hits)