BBC Playlister to be iPlayer for music

The BBC is working on BBC Playlister an 'iPlayer for music' that will deliver a streaming music service similar to Spotify but with the added bonus of archive BBC radio content.

After the huge success of the BBC iPlayer, it seems Playlister will attempt to achieve a similar success with a streaming music service.

The Daily Telegraph reports that Playlister could partner with iTunes or Spotify to harness their huge music libraries of streaming music.

Furthermore, the streaming music service looks likely to integrate with existing archived BBC radio content.

The Telegraph reports a BBC spokesman pointing to the importance of BBC radio: “The BBC is regularly in conversation with digital music providers about how we strengthen radio’s position as the number one place for discovering music in the UK”.

The Playlister initiative is set for launch later this year or in early 2013.

BBC iPlayer left beta and went live on 25th December 2007, since when it has gone from strength to strength, hitting 1.94 billion requests for programmes in 2011.

BBC iPlayer is now on more than 550 devices including smart TVs as well as tablets and phones, and now allows you to download your favourite shows to watch later.

UPDATE: BBC Playlister launches in beta mode

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Joe is the Content Director for What Hi-Fi? and Future’s Product Testing, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for almost 20 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff and The Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).