BBC Playlister goes live with Spotify, YouTube and Deezer

9 Oct 2013

The BBC is launching a new digital music product that lets audiences add and save favourite tracks heard on the BBC to a personal online playlist which they can then export to Spotify, YouTube and Deezer.

The Playlister app will also feature hand-picked recommendations from DJs and presenters.

The app lets audiences click to remember the music they hear on the BBC and add these to their personal playlist and then export the playlist to their chosen digital music service.

“BBC Playlister is a wonderful innovation from the BBC that has been designed purely with audience needs in mind,” said Tony Hall, the BBC’s director-general.

“We have a proud musical heritage that dates back to the very beginning of the BBC’s history, and over the years we have found many new ways of bringing fantastic music to our viewers and listeners. Working with partners such as Spotify, YouTube and Deezer, we will once again transform our audiences’ relationship with music and the BBC.”

The first stage of BBC Playlister will launch in the coming days on PC and via a mobile browser, and over time will be added to other form factors.

Influencing music choices across generations

YouTube’s director of content partnerships Ben McOwen Wilson described the BBC as an influential and powerful curator of music choice across generations. “YouTube’s community of passionate music fans can access and share the music content they love from their favourite BBC shows by easily exporting playlists directly to YouTube.”

The practicality of the Playlister app has also been welcomed by music-streaming players Spotify and Deezer.

“The BBC and Spotify share a passion for offering lovingly curated, great music to music fans, making Spotify a great partner for BBC Playlister,” said Chris Maples, VP of Europe for Spotify.

“Through the BBC Playlister app on Spotify, you can be the first to hear and follow playlists from your favourite DJs, radio stations and TV programmes, and explore a world of hand-picked music content from across the BBC. From Zane Lowe’s Hottest Records of 2013 to the tracks from Later with … Jools Holland, you can enjoy them first through the BBC Playlister app on Spotify.”

Axel Dauchez, CEO of Deezer, said: “We’re delighted to partner with the BBC at the launch of their new music product, BBC Playlister. At the click of a button, users will be able to export their favourite tracks from across the BBC to listen to in full and take them wherever they go with Deezer. Music fans in more than 180 countries already listen to and discover new music with Deezer – our editors are seeking out and recommending new music every day. Now people in many countries across the world can listen to the music they love on the BBC with Deezer.”

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com