Roxi Music Video Streaming Service Eyes US Expansion

UK-based TV-based music streaming service Roxi is backed by investors including Simon Cowell, Kylie Minogue and Sheryl Crowis set to launch in the US in the first quarter of 2024 through partnerships revealed on Sunday.

Founded in 2017, the company has deals with all the major labels, claiming to offer its partners “a unique full catalog music video service – all original music videos plus over 100 million virtual Roxi music videos.” It said that in the US it will soon be available “on Samsung, LG, Vizio, Sony Bravia, Roku, Comcast, Fire TV, Google TV, Android TV, NVIDIA Shield TVs and set-top boxes.”

It vowed that its free music streaming app “will change the way millions of Americans enjoy music at home with free access to 100 million music videos, hundreds of curated music video channels, karaoke music videos, music games and more.”

In the UK, consumers can use the Roxi app for free under the ad-supported Roxi Standard plan or for £6.99 ($8.85) per month after 30 free days. In the US, the company said it will also offer its Roxi Standard service for free, with ads including “unlimited music videos, exclusive music channels, a basic karaoke catalog and basic music games.” The $8.99 per month Roxi Premium plan (after a 30-day free trial) in the US promises consumers to “play anything and everything, with no limits and no ads.” Roxi TV app users can also claim a free Roxi Karaoke Microphone when they do a 30-day premium trial or else purchase it from roxi.tv for $29.99.

With smart TV and pay TV vendors partnering with Roxi to add search and on-demand music video playback with voice and remote feed, “smart TVs will surpass smart speakers with free and instant voice-activated music videos” , the company predicted in the announcement. Its move to the US “Consumers will be able to command their TV to 'play Taylor Swift' with their voice – the TV will automatically turn on and start playing Taylor Swift's music videos.”

CEO of Roxi Rob Lewis stated that the service provides more than audio-only music. “Our partnerships with the world's largest smart and pay TV companies offer free and instant access to Roxi's 100 million music videos on tens of millions of televisions,” he said. “Consumers will be able to use their voice or TV remote to instantly play all their favorite music, all in music video format.”

The company sees its service as helping TVs replace the role of audio speakers in many homes. “Music accounts for 80 percent of smart speaker listening today. but that's audio-only listening and audio-only is ridiculous on a TV and when there's a TV in every home,” Lewis said. “The TV will overtake the smart speaker as the preferred music player in the home, not only because the audiovisual experience is better in the home than with audio alone, but also because a TV provides a far superior browsing experience.”

Roxi cited results of commissioned research to highlight its market potential. It found that more than 75 percent of US consumers would like to try Roxi's free TV app on their smart TVs, and 60 percent “are interested in changing their home music listening from audio-only smart speakers to full music videos that are played on television”.

Matthew Broughtondirector of LG Smart TV content and services, said: “Roxii's full catalog of 100 million original and virtual music videos will be integrated directly into the search function on all new LG TVs from 2024, allowing LG TV users to search for music such as as well as TV and movies.”

Cowell, Minogue and Crow are celebrity shareholders in Roxi and also serve as music curators. Other investors in the company include Robbie Williams, Alesha Dixon, Stephen Fry, former Formula 1 and McLaren executive Ron Dennis, former U2 manager Paul McGuinness and others.

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.