British music-streaming startup Electric Jukebox was originally supposed to launch before Christmas 2015, before a series of delays to the hardware/software service. Today, the company announced that it’s launching tomorrow (9 November), selling its streaming device for £169 through retailers including Argos, Amazon, Selfridges and “a major TV network”. As before, the stick-shaped device plugs in to the HDMI port of a TV, with its music accessed via a bundled remote. The company is targeting a mainstream audience, with its £52-a-year ‘Premium Music Pass’ promoted to potential buyers as “less than half the price of Spotify”. The company also says it has raised £7m in funding so far, most recently taking investment from Yolo Leisure and Technology. £7m for a music startup dealing with both hardware and software doesn’t seem that much, but Electric Jukebox will stand or fall on its pre-Christmas sales. The UK launch follows the company’s decision earlier this year to postpone its US debut due to concerns about mechanical streaming royalties, in the wake of Spotify’s songwriter lawsuits.
Tools: platforms to help you reach new audiences
Tools: Kaiber
In the year or so since its launch, AI startup Kaiber has been making waves,…