We7
Encyclopedia
we7 is a free, advertising supported, music streaming service, with over 6.8 million tracks available for streaming in the UK and Ireland
, with content from all four major record labels, and most independent labels and distributors. Most tracks and albums are also available to purchase from the in-site store. Outside the UK and Ireland, it has limited content.
Songs streamed on we7 have a short audio advert, or blipvert
, that plays before each song. This is usually combined with a change in the advert on the page, with the intent of the audio advert drawing attention to the clickable advert.
The site claims it had 3 million tracks available for streaming at launch, claimed 500 thousand users and 3.5 million tracks in March 2009 and currently claims over 3 million users and 6.8 million tracks.
The idea behind this new redio system is stated in the How it Works section of the About Us page on We7. "We believe what you like is more important than what you know. So you don't have to trawl a massive catalogue - all you need to do is enter a single song, artist or genre to get started." When a user registers to the site, they will get unlimited music access and 50 song requests a month.
The old structure of the website can still be visited at subscription.we7.com but is only available to play the full tracks when the user subscribes to premium membership.
Since the full launch in November 2008, the site has had various promotions and exclusives. In February 2009 it partnered with NME
to provide streaming music widgets on their article pages, and in March it introduced an exclusive 'listening party' preview of Dutch singer Alain Clark
's debut UK single 'Father & Friend', followed by an exclusive version of his album the week after.
In February 2010 we7 embraced the freemium
business model by offering an advert-free service for a monthly subscription.
The site also has an editorial section titled the 'Magazine', which has featured interviews with artists and occasionally runs competitions, such as the recent Metro Station
competition.
App. Only users with a "premium plus" account are able to use the application. There was some criticism of the app, because the premium plus account was not launched until 1 March 2010.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, with content from all four major record labels, and most independent labels and distributors. Most tracks and albums are also available to purchase from the in-site store. Outside the UK and Ireland, it has limited content.
Songs streamed on we7 have a short audio advert, or blipvert
Blipvert
In the 1985 film Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future and the first episode of the 1987 science fiction television show Max Headroom, blipverts were a new high-speed, concentrated, high-intensity television commercials lasting about three seconds. The term Blipvert was first coined by George...
, that plays before each song. This is usually combined with a change in the advert on the page, with the intent of the audio advert drawing attention to the clickable advert.
The site claims it had 3 million tracks available for streaming at launch, claimed 500 thousand users and 3.5 million tracks in March 2009 and currently claims over 3 million users and 6.8 million tracks.
New DJ service
At the end of September 2011, We7 changed from an on demand service to a music DJ service. This opened up a new premium service offer as well as a new logo and site layout. This stopped the free choice of songs that was previously the We7 service and opened a recommended music player instead which plays related songs and artists. Free users get a 50 limit of requests to add to the radio queue.The idea behind this new redio system is stated in the How it Works section of the About Us page on We7. "We believe what you like is more important than what you know. So you don't have to trawl a massive catalogue - all you need to do is enter a single song, artist or genre to get started." When a user registers to the site, they will get unlimited music access and 50 song requests a month.
The old structure of the website can still be visited at subscription.we7.com but is only available to play the full tracks when the user subscribes to premium membership.
History
In October 2008, the site shifted focus to music streaming, initially with content from Sony BMG, including a change of design that integrated a persistent music player in the page, allowing the music to continue to play while users browse the site.Since the full launch in November 2008, the site has had various promotions and exclusives. In February 2009 it partnered with NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
to provide streaming music widgets on their article pages, and in March it introduced an exclusive 'listening party' preview of Dutch singer Alain Clark
Alain Clark
Alain Clark is a Dutch musician and producer. He is a recipient of the Dutch music awards Zilveren Harp, 3FM Mega Award and the Edison Award ....
's debut UK single 'Father & Friend', followed by an exclusive version of his album the week after.
In February 2010 we7 embraced the freemium
Freemium
Freemium is a business model that works by offering a product or service free of charge while charging a premium for advanced features, functionality, or related products and services...
business model by offering an advert-free service for a monthly subscription.
Features
The main feature of the site was for streaming full tracks without requiring registration. However as of 2011, users have to register for free to listen to a song, otherwise just a 30 second preview is provided. Registration is also required for advanced features such as making playlists, and purchasing music.The site also has an editorial section titled the 'Magazine', which has featured interviews with artists and occasionally runs competitions, such as the recent Metro Station
Metro Station (band)
Metro Station is an American pop rock band that formed in Los Angeles by Mason Musso and Trace Cyrus. In late 2006, the band signed a recording contract with Columbia/Red Ink. They are best known for their Top 10 Billboard hit single "Shake It" from their self-titled debut album...
competition.
Financial Performance
On Wednesday 6 October 2010, we7 posted losses of £3.6 million. The company claimed that market conditions, the collapse of the banking sector and the ongoing nervousness of the music industry caused the losses. The Guardian had reported earlier in 2010 that We7 had become profitable, using adverts to cover both running costs and payments to labels, which made it the first music streaming company to do so with UK operations. We7 says 2011 is going better and aims to perform well this year.iPhone App
On the 18th February, 2010, we7 launched its iPhoneIPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
App. Only users with a "premium plus" account are able to use the application. There was some criticism of the app, because the premium plus account was not launched until 1 March 2010.