Music video streaming service XITE has formally debuted on several platforms in the United States today (March 12), with a catalog including all three major labels -- Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group -- as well as indie labels and distributors like Beggars, EMPIRE, PIAS and Armada.
The app, founded in 2008 in Amsterdam and which is also available in Europe and the Middle East, has been rolling out on Comcast X1 Infinity, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV over the past few days and weeks, with Roku availability coming soon and mobile and tablet availability in the second half of the year. The service allows users to favorite and skip videos; create new stations and playlists by genre, era or style of video; and adapts to users’ preferences based on watching and liking history.
“Music videos continue to dominate overall music streaming, and we see an enormous opportunity to bring a beautifully designed, pure-play music video service to the U.S.,” said co-CEO/co-founder Cees Honig in a statement. “We’re excited to give U.S. music fans a new way to enjoy music videos, the way we have for millions around the world.”
XITE’s advisory board also includes music-industry veterans like Jason Flom, Roger Faxon, Eric Budin and Bill Roedy. The service will be free, with a premium subscription service on the way later in the sprint. Pricing for the premium service has yet to be determined.
Added U.S. GM Shelly Powell, “XITE is all about giving fans the best possible way to experience music videos -- on the biggest (or smallest) screen in the house -- whether they’re leaning back and enjoying a playlist created by our expert curators or making their own personalized channel.”
XITE | Product Reel | 2019 from XITE on Vimeo.
