14 DAY TRIAL // Usually, the old media companies are moving online, some with more success than others. Once in a while though a web service extends to another media platform, as is the case with Jelli, an online radio service that allows users to vote on the music played, which will start airing on around 4,500 radio stations in the US and in five Australian cities. The service is also entering beta and announcing a number of new features.
“With our Beta release, we’re introducing 3 stations, but the Jelli Tuner will be growing quickly. Today we’re also announcing two freshly inked deals, putting Jelli in the pipeline for distribution with thousands more stations worldwide,” the site announced. “Triton Radio Networks, through Dial-Global, will syndicate two daily Jelli programs (Top 40 Jelli and Rock Jelli), and Triton Digital will offer affiliates customized, 24/7 online Jelli experiences. [...] Jelli also struck a deal with Australian broadcaster, Austereo, which will launch a hits-oriented Hot Jelli show on stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.”
Jelli allows users to control the music played by voting on the songs and the playlist is populated entirely by their votes. They can even vote while the song is playing and if enough negative votes pour in the song will be yanked off the air. They also get some more powerful tools called bombs and rockets, handed out in limited numbers each day, which they can use to get a song to the top of the list or reset its scoring to zero.
The radio started out as a completely web-based service but several months ago it secured a deal for a two-hour spot on a San Francisco radio station. The contract proved so successful that it led to these massive contracts which the company has now announced. There are a few changes for the broadcast but the core system is unaltered. Users worldwide can vote on the playlist but they can only choose from the radio-friendly songs or versions. Before going live the voting is reset and the list of available songs also changes.