Motorola revolutionizes radio with the public introduction of the award-winning Motorola iRadio, a subscription music service that seamlessly moves from home, to car stereo, to wireless headphones — powered from the one device you’re never without: your mobile phone.

According to the company’s statement, Motorola iRadio is initially launching with 435 commercial-free radio channels, already one of the widest selections of subscription music entertainment available. The service’s unique delivery platform enables it to bring content portability together with acquisition and discovery of music. This creates a powerful new medium for artists and labels to directly connect with fans, and for wireless service providers to deepen relationships with subscribers.

“Motorola iRadio is truly a revolution in digital radio — offering more choice, higher audio quality than satellite radio, and features that allow listeners to identify and purchase the music they like” said Mike Gaumond, vice president and general manager, Motorola Digital Media Services. “Today, we’ve taken a giant leap beyond traditional and Internet-delivered radio by introducing a single service that incorporates incredible choice, the discovery of new music, impulse acquisition, and seamless portability.”

Motorola iRadio unifies content that has historically been segmented across different devices and mediums, such as traditional radio, MP3 players, Internet radio and car audio.
Using Bluetooth wireless technology, a user’s customized choice of content moves automatically from the phone, through the car stereo, across the home stereo system or on-the-go. When a call is received on the phone, the music is automatically paused, resuming after the call has been completed.

Motorola offers optional Bluetooth accessories to extend iRadio, including stereo headphones for on-the-go use, an adapter for a home stereo, and a wireless car kit compatible with virtually all car stereos from major manufacturers such as Pioneer, Alpine, Sony and Kenwood.

Motorola iRadio establishes a more personal connection between artists and fans. Listeners can go far beyond the Top 40 to discover new genres and artists. Labels now have a new, low-cost forum for introducing music or reviving long forgotten songs from the back catalog

Another exclusive independent artist channel is produced by Academy Award-winning writer, actor, director, and musician, Billy Bob Thornton. “Motorola iRadio is the best thing to happen for variety in music since Jimmy Hendrix opened for the Monkees,” said Thornton. “This is radio like it used to be, like it’s supposed to be.”
Listeners can bookmark an individual song by simply pressing a button on their phone or car stereo, making it easy to recall the name of a long-forgotten favorite or to discover a new artist. Artist, album and song information along with offers to purchase downloads, CDs or even concert tickets will appear on the iRadio “Wish List” viewed on the computer.
Motorola iRadio’s proprietary rights management technology offers content owners and artists an advantage. Using the single-play model of radio, labels can introduce consumers to new content and be protected from piracy and unauthorized file-sharing.
Motorola iRadio completes the music service ecosystem for the wireless carrier, by placing the element of discovery right on the mobile device. Carriers can now introduce subscribers to new music played from the handset, and drive them to their wireless music store for over-the-air acquisition of the tune they just heard. For example, listeners can hear a song on their car stereo, and simply press a key to purchase and download the track over-the-air.

It’s a highly innovative idea and it’s very likely that Motorola’s future service will be a real success, especially considering the fact that the mobile industry is expanding at a phenomenal rate.