Simply put, streaming is expensive. So expensive that, to date, no digital music service is generating a profit. Larger services have raised billions to fund continued losses, but even with our recent crowdfunding, 8tracks has raised only $5m over the last decade. We want to build a sustainable path for 8tracks to be enjoyed by everyone for years to come.
In the US, we cannot generate enough revenue from visual-only ads (e.g. banners, boxes) to cover our royalty costs. To ensure 8tracks can survive and thrive, we’ve introduced audio ads on free, ad-supported streaming -- while continuing to offer listeners the option to subscribe to
8tracks Plus to remove all ads, visual and audio.
By
subscribing to 8tracks Plus, a listener gets:
-Ad-free streaming
-Unlimited listening time
-Animated gifs for your playlist artwork
-A flashy badge to show off to your friends and admirers
If you’ve contributed your time and passion to 8tracks by creating awesome playlists, we also want to ensure your contribution is properly recognized. Any DJ who’s received...
-100+ likes across all of their playlists gets 2X the normal weekly listening limit
-1,000+ likes across all of their playlists gets 3X the normal weekly listening limit
-10,000+ gets free 8tracks Plus in perpetuity (just like our investors)
While we wish we didn’t have to introduce audio ads on ad-based listening, we’re pleased to be able to offer a better user experience for all investors, many of our DJs, and a growing number of our devoted listeners, all while ensuring a healthy future for the service and community.
Want more details?
Read our CEO & founder’s post here.