Rara (service) explained

rara
Owner:Omnifone (Original owner)
Key People:Jez Bell (CEO)
Rob Lewis[1] (Chairman)
Area Served:Web, iOS, Android, Windows 8
12 more countries including from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Singapore, Sweden, UK, USA

rara was a music streaming media service. It operated between December 2011 and March 2015. It offered ad-free, on-demand music streaming from a range of major and independent record labels, including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music and Warner Music Group, global rights agency Merlin and independent digital distributors The Orchard, INgrooves Fontana, Believe Digital, [PIAS] and VidZone Digital Media.[2]

Launched in December 2011[3] by British company rara Media Group Limited, the service featured an initial music catalogue of approximately 10 million tracks.[4] As of October 2013, the catalogue offered 22 million tracks and was available in 32 countries.[5] The system was accessible on both PC and Mac via the web with apps for Windows 8, iOS, and Android.[6] A rara "web" subscription provided unlimited music streaming via the web to PC and Mac while a "premium" subscription enabled access to rara mobile apps as well as offline access to music.[7]

In between February and March 2015, rara stopped accepting new subscribers and announced that the service was up for sale.[8] [9] [10] Music streaming stopped on 29 March.

Features

rara had a catalogue of over 22 million tracks licensed. It provided unlimited on-demand music streaming. Web users could create playlists which were synchronised through the cloud with their other rara devices. rara used a team to curate channels and playlists, categorised by mood, genre, era and currently trending.[7] [11] rara created personalised music recommendations that were both algorithmically generated and hand curated by rara's team. Powered by Dolby Pulse, rara streamed audio on web and via apps at a bitrate of 320 kbit/s.

Platforms

rara was available on web via PC and Mac and also via apps for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android and Windows 8 PCs and tablets. The rara web streaming service was launched on 13 December 2011. The rara Windows 8 app was introduced on 23 October 2012. It was the first on-demand music streaming app to launch on Windows 8 apart from Microsoft's own Xbox music service which was bundled with all Windows 8 devices. The rara iPhone app was introduced on 23 October 2012. The rara iPad app was launched on 23 October 2012. The rara Android app was launched on 13 December 2011.

BMW ConnectedDrive Online Entertainment was first announced by BMW on 19 May 2013 for BMW 5 Series 2013 facelift models. The first compatible vehicles with Online Entertainment included became available to drive from late July 2013. On 6 December 2013 Online Entertainment with rara became available to purchase in all BMW Series 1-7, the M series and the X5 model.

Territories

rara was available in 32 countries: US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and South Africa. rara individually tailors its music service for every territory, with local language support and a localised music catalogue for each country.

Partnerships

rara was partnered with HP,[12] BMW, Toshiba and Lenovo and was preloaded onto a range of HP PCs[13] and Lenovo Windows 8 and Android PCs, tablets and Windows 8 convertible devices.[14]

History

Located in London, England, rara was spun out of digital music service provider Omnifone prior to launch in December 2011. The service was run by parent company rara Media Group Limited with its back end technology platform powered by Omnifone.[15]

The rara.com web streaming service and rara Android mobile app was launched on 13 December 2011 in 16 countries[3] across the US, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, with 10 million tracks from all major labels[16] and a global partnership with HP. On 14 December 2011 rara announced its launch in New Zealand.[17] [18] On 20 January 2012 rara announced its launch in Australia, Canada and Singapore.[19]

On 31 January 2012 PRS for Music announced a pan-European licensing deal securing royalties from rara for the songwriters, composers and music publishers it represented across Europe.[20] [21]

On 18 July 2012, rara appointed Coca-Cola executive Nick Massey as CEO.[22]

On 23 October 2012 rara launched apps for iOS and Windows 8 devices and announced music licensing deals with independent distributors Merlin, The Orchard, INgrooves Fontana, Believe Digital, VidZone Digital Media and an expanded global licensed catalogue to 18 million tracks. rara.com also announced it had added 7 new countries; Brazil, Mexico, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, South Africa and Portugal, increasing rara.com's territory reach to 27 markets.

On 20 December 2012 rara announced a licensing deal with independent distributor [PIAS] and the addition of 6 new Eastern European countries; Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, expanding its international territory reach to 33 countries worldwide.[23]

On 8 March 2013 rara announced Omnifone and PRS for Music executive Jez Bell as CEO.[24]

On 21 May 2013 rara announced an international partnership with BMW to provide Europe's first in-car music streaming service.[25] On 11 October 2013 rara announced a partnership with Toshiba to pre-load the rara app on Toshiba Windows 8 PCs, tablets and convertible devices in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. On 6 December 2013 rara expanded Europe's first in-car music streaming service across the BMW range. rara was available in BMW Series 1-7, the M Series and the X5.[26]

In early 2015, rara announced that the company was for sale and would shut down if a buyer was not found.[8] [9] Unlimited music streaming and premium shut down on 29 March in all 32 countries. In June to October, the official homepage still ran without the "sign up", "prices" or "social network" options. However, the page still had the "email" and "sign in" options. The website was finally shut down in November.

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://www.techdigest.tv/2011/12/rara_launches_s.html Rara launches: Spotify music-streaming rival aims for mass-market appeal
  2. http://paidcontent.org/2012/10/23/music-service-rara-faces-challenge-to-turn-free-in-to-0-99/ Music service Rara faces challenge to turn free in to $0.99
  3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16160009 Music service Rara.com aims for digital non-adopters
  4. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8953471/Rara.com-will-take-on-iTunes-and-Spotify-music-services.htm Rara.com ‘will take on iTunes and Spotify’ music services
  5. http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/rara-partners-with-toshiba/056364/ rara partners with Toshiba
  6. https://www.engadget.com/2012/10/24/rara-new-platforms-and-countries/ Rara.com expands to iOS, Windows 8 and more countries
  7. http://www.cnet.com.au/australian-music-streaming-services-compared-339331668.htm Australian music-streaming services compared
  8. http://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/rara-must-be-sold-or-closed-as-ceo-exits/ Rara will be shut or sold as ceo Jez Bell exits
  9. http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/rara-up-for-sale/ Rara up for sale
  10. http://musically.com/2015/02/13/omnifone-revenues-big-clients-sony-spotify/ Omnifone ceo sees bright future despite falling revenues and loss of big clients
  11. http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2012/10/can-rara-com-fight-spotify-for-streaming-music-supremacy/ Can rara.com Fight Spotify For Streaming Music Supremacy?
  12. http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/web/rara-com-to-bring-music-streaming-to-the-masses-1047406 Rara.com to bring music streaming 'to the masses'
  13. http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2011/12/rara-com-aims-at-spotifys-throat-with-ad-free-music-streaming-for-99p-a-month/ Rara.com Aims at Spotify’s Throat With Ad-Free Music Streaming For 99p a Month
  14. https://techcrunch.com/2012/10/23/rara-com-turns-up-the-volume-on-its-music-streaming-service-launches-windows-8-ios-apps-inks-lenovo-deal-expands-countries-covered-to-27/ Rara.com Turns Up The Volume On Its Music Streaming: Launches Windows 8, iOS Apps; Inks Lenovo Deal; Now In 27 Markets
  15. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/digital-and-mobile/omnifone-powers-music-for-sony-blackberry-1007946022.story Omnifone, Powers Music For Sony, BlackBerry, Rara.com, Turns Profit
  16. Web site: New Music Service Rara.com Faces Big Obstacles. 14 February 2016. 13 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181013094047/http://evolver.fm/2011/12/13/rara-com-wants-to-popularize-unlimited-music-despite-obvious-obstacles/. dead.
  17. Web site: Streaming music service launches in NZ. Siobhan Keogh. 15 December 2011. PC World New Zealand. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120721143211/http://pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/pcw.nsf/news/streaming-music-service-launches-in-nz. 21 July 2012.
  18. https://www.bloomberg.com/article/2011-12-14/amFKUCfK83P0.html Global Digital Music Service rara.com Launches Across New Zealand 14 December 2011
  19. Rdio, Rara Launch Subscription Streaming In Australia. 20 January 2012. Billboard. 14 February 2016. 18 January 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130118124613/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/digital-and-mobile/rdio-rara-launch-subscription-streaming-1005939562.story. dead.
  20. http://www.telecompaper.com/news/raracom-signs-licensing-deal-with-prs-for-music--852870 Rara.com signs licensing deal with PRS for Music
  21. http://mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=150873 PRS For Music And Rara.com Sign Licensing Deal
  22. http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/rara-com-appoints-former-coca-cola-exec-nick-massey-as-ceo/051036 Rara.com appoints former Coca Cola exec Nick Massey as CEO
  23. http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/rara-licenses-pias-digital-catalogue-expands-to-33-countries/052980 Rara licenses PIAS digital catalogue, expands to 33 countries
  24. http://musically.com/2013/03/08/rara-to-capitalise-on-footprint-with-strong-and-local-music-policy/ Rara to capitalise on footprint with "strong and local" music policy
  25. http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/digital-and-mobile/1563141/raracom-with-bmw-launches-european-in-car-streaming/ rara with BMW launches European in-car streaming service
  26. http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/12/06/bmw-and-rara-announce-expansion-car-demand-music-streaming-service