8tracks

8Tracks is an internet radio that allows users to create their own playlists for others to listen to. It was founded in 2006 by David Porter, 1 but not launched until 2008. Each playlist must consist of at least eight tracks. Creators of playlists label the playlist with tags, which enable listeners to easily seed the music. Unlike other free music services, such as Pandora or Spotify, 8tracks does not interrupt playlists with ads. Only visual ads are present on the site. Anyone is able to listen to playlists online, yet users may also create a free account to log into the site. There is also a feature called 8Tracks Plus, which is a subscription-based service without ads, that costs $25 for a six month subscription [1].

Legality

In order to comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, 8Tracks has licenses with ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. Since the site is non-interactive, such compliance is able to hold. This allows the site to transmit publicly released sound recordings so long as certain conditions are met. For example, there is a limit on the number of songs by a certain artist during a three-hour time period, and the site pays royalties, of 1/7 of a cent, for every track streamed 23. Listeners are only able to skip an allotted number of tracks per hour, and the listener cannot determine the sequence the playlist is heard [2].

Developers

8Tracks has a API for which developers can use to build an 8tracks player. There is also a forum where developers can ask questions to peers or staff 4. Both official and third-party apps are available for listeners to use. The API is fairly easy to use and offers a variety of data which can be pulled to make an app. The official 8Tracks apps are for iPhone, Android, and Macs [3].