In this article, we’ll look at the Music Choice website and its offering to consumers. We will also look at it from an artist’s perspective and explore how to get music on Music Choice.
Readers in the United States might already be familiar with the Music Choice website, but for those of you that are unsure, don’t worry. You have come to the right place!
Stay tuned for everything you need to know about Music Choice and how it can benefit you as an artist.
What Is Music Choice?
Music Choice is a collection of music channels across a number of platforms.
The service can be accessed via TV, the Web App (Music Choice.com), and on the go with the Music Choice app – which is available both for iOS and Android.
What Does Music Choice Do?
The Music Choice website is famous for playing uninterrupted songs all day with no commercials. Music Choice Radio is represented by 25 different dedicated Music Choice radio channels grouped into genres, playing the best new music and classic songs. Just select the genre you want to hear and let it roll!
In addition to the genre-specific rolling playlist, there is also the Music Choice on-demand service. Here, users can search and watch the latest music video releases alongside the greatest videos of all time.
Beyond just the music, the Music Choice website has its own catalogue of original shows and exclusive interviews with new artists and some of the biggest names in the music industry.
The Music Choice App
The app has over 85 ad-free and expertly curated music channels for listening to your favorite genres.
It also has over 30 non-stop video channels and more than 35,000 videos.
Users of the app can also personalize their experience by making and saving their video playlists.
How To Get My Music On Music Choice
Most artists will be reading this and wondering how they can submit their music and videos to Music Choice. Well, look no further!
The most important thing to stress here is that it is very important to have an up-to-date EPK. Music submissions should have accompanying lyrics, high-resolution photos, tour dates, promotion videos, press clippings, and a solid and up-to-date artist bio. As well as relevant contact information for you or your representative.
Once all of that is in place you can submit your music (CD and media kit) via post. For audio submissions, the address is:
Music Choice Programming
Attn: Unsigned Material (include music genre – such as Rock, Rap, Country)
328 W. 34th Street
New York, NY 10001
For video submissions, send your video and media kit to:
Music Choice Video Programming
Attn: Asset Management (include music genre – such as Rock, Rap, Country)
328 W. 34th Street
New York, NY 10001
It is often very difficult for independent artists to get in the door at companies like Music Choice. But, there are also a couple of companies that specialize in music video promotion and distribution and claim to be able to specifically pitch and deliver music videos to Music Choice.
These include Hip Video Promo and Yangaroo Music (powered by DMDS).
Submission Requirements
It is important to note that for video submissions there are alsosome submission requirements.
All videos must be:
- BETA sp or Digi BETA format, (this means a horizontal resolution of at least 340 lines which makes it suitable quality for broadcast)
- They need to be in close-captioned format (CC)
- You should include a lyric sheet and the content (video and lyrics) should be suitable for all ages (specifically TV MA material is not accepted – this means videos unsuitable for children under 17 will not be accepted)
- A chyron should not be embedded (a chyron is a graphic often seen at the foot of a video or in the corner of a TV channel such as the news)
How Much Is Music Choice?
If you’re wondering ‘is Music Choice free’? The short answer is yes, although you do need a TV package.
Music Choice doesn’t have a dedicated membership or service fee, but rather it comes free with US TV packages provided by all major cable suppliers including Verizon, DirectTV, COX, WOW!, and Xfinity.
This is also true of the app – you will need your TV provider login to be able to access the app features.
Alternatives
Let’s take a look at the three main alternatives open to you, starting with YouTube Premium.
Music Choice vs YouTube Premium
YouTube’s premium offering comes in at $11.99 per month in the US (£11.99 GBP in the UK) and brings with it a very compelling service offering. As part of the subscription, you also have the dedicated YouTube Music Premium App. Which can also offer on-the-go offline plays as well as the ability to download music and videos for playing on mobile devices.
Like Music Choice, YouTube is available via Smart TV. Additionally, accessories like Apple TV and the premium service are also ad-free.
The cost is where it falls down a little – $11.99 versus free with a regular cable package seems a little expensive. But for those of us outside the US looking for this kind of service, YouTube is probably the best bet.
Music Choice vs Vevo
Vevo boasts some really impressive stats. They have a library of over 450,000 videos which are viewed 26 billion times a month resulting in over 1.1 billion hours of viewing time in every 30-day period.
They have a huge portion of the music video market and are available on Now TV, Apple TV, Fire TV, YouTube, and also through service providers like T-Mobile in the US.
Vevo also has a lot of original programs spotlighting established and up-and-coming artists as well as exclusive live performances. Also, if you are an artist, distribution to Vevo is very easy via most established distributors. Additionally, videos can even be synchronized with your YouTube account so one platform can upload to multiple platforms.
Vevo even has a dedicated artist support team that can be contacted via their website. Which makes them a little easier to work with that Music Choice from an artist’s perspective.
Music Choice vs Myspace
Don’t worry, you haven’t just fallen through a time vortex and woken up in 2005! If you are old enough to have memories of how Myspace used to be the main place for sharing music you love as well as discovering new artists, you’ll be pleased to know it has had a total overhaul and is back!
This time, video is a huge part of the package with exclusive performances, exclusive ferris wheel interviews with artists, news and featured videos – and the content is all free.
For artists, it’s also free to upload your music and videos directly via the website. Making it comparable with YouTube in terms of how easy it is to get your content on the site.
However, the new-look Myspace still has a long way to go before it can really compete with the likes of YouTube, Vevo, and Music Choice. Although they have some curated playlists via their ‘featured’ page – it’s not as easy for fans to pick their way through the content to discover new music.
Our Final Thoughts
In the digital age, music TV is often neglected by artists but video is still a key way that music is consumed. The Music Choice website offers really good, curated, genre-specific playlists to fans, not only for when they channel-hop on their TV, but also to be viewed directly on their phones or computer. Making it a really powerful platform.
As an artist, getting your music on the platform might be a little bit of a challenge due to its competitive nature. But for those that do land a spot on it, they can do really well and for consumers, it’s a great service that comes as an added bonus to their cable packages.
We hope that you enjoyed our Music Choice review! Have you ever used the Music Choice website? Let us know about your experiences in the comment section below!
SHARE THIS ARTICLE:
