ROXi, a free streaming music app, is launching on major smart TV platforms in the U.S., with integrated voice and search capabilities teed up for LG and Samsung smart TVs at launch.
Starting in Q1 the streaming music video app will be available on over 90% of U.S. smart TVs including Samsung, LG, Vizio, Roku, Comcast, Sony Bravia, NVIDIA Shield TVs, TCL, HiSense, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV and Android TV.
UK-headquartered ROXi itself isn’t a new service, having launched in 2017, with backing from Simon Cowell, Kylie Minogue, Sheryl Crow and others but previously was available through the ROXi Music System, which is a dedicated streaming device that requires an HDMI port to get access on connected TVs and includes a remote that doubles as a microphone for sing-along features. The music service and karaoke features were also previously made available through an integration with Sky in 2020. With the latest announcement, it’s marking U.S. expansion via integrated smart TV access.
The ROXi service boasts access to 100 million music videos, hundreds of curated music video channels, music video karaoke, and music games. Whether it’s incorporated on the smart TV platforms’ respective free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services or simply available as a smart TV app was not immediately clear from the release. StreamTV Insider reached out to ROXi and will update with any additional information.
Notably, the music video app is striking strategic partnerships with smart TV makers that will integrate its catalog of 100 million original and virtual music videos into global search and voice command functions, meaning users can search for and play music similar to how they do for movies and TV programming.
Teed up first as voice and search partners are LG, Samsung and Comcast’s Sky, rolling out in Q1.
“This is the start of a major partnership between ROXi and LG. LG TVs will offer an audio-visual alternative to the traditional audio-only Smart Speaker experience,” said Matthew Broughton, LG Director of Europe smart TV Content & Services, in a statement. “ROXi’s full catalogue of 100 million original and virtual music videos will be integrated directly into the search function on all new LG TVs from 2024 enabling LG TV users to search for music, as well as TV and movies.”
The press release also said voice and search partner announcements will include “other major smart TV and pay TV vendors” without naming names. A ROKi spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to inquiry from STV.
A statement by ROXi CEO Rob Lewis said the app’s “partnership with the world’s biggest Smart and Pay TV companies brings free and instant voice controlled access to ROXi’s 100 million Music Videos on tens of millions of TVs.”
In addition, the ROXi service features curated music video channels from celebrity backers including Cowell, Minogue, Crow and Robbie Williams.
The service looks to be working to help usher in the smart TV as the living room’s preferred audio device, with ROXi citing its own independent research poll that found 60% of U.S. consumers would switch their home music listening from audio-only smart speakers to full music videos playing on the TV.
“The TV will overtake the Smart Speaker as the preferred music player in the home, not only because an audio-visual experience is better in the home than audio-only but also because a TV provides for a much superior browsing experience,” Lewis added.
Earlier research from Hub Entertainment Research found that smart TV users are increasingly using their devices for non-TV viewing activities. The top non-TV feature used was streaming music and audio, which rose significantly from 27% in 2020 to 49% in 2023. In August, Hub Entertainment senior consultant Dave Tice told StreamTV Insider that smart TV’s growth showed its long-term promise as a technological focal point of the home, whereas the firm observed the trend of linking smart speakers to smart TVs as steadily plateauing.
Others have been tapping into the potential for music and audio entertainment from smart TVs. That includes Fubo, which last November launched Fubo Radio with partner Super Hi-Fi, featuring 10 fully branded AI-powered free audio-only music channels. Separately, Amazon launched three FAST channels from it Wondery podcast arm on the Freevee service, which in addition to audio feature a mix of animations and visual podcast artwork designed for mobile and TV screens.
And ROXi isn’t the first music video service to get into CTV streaming. Long-time music video network app Vevo is available on a wide variety of CTV platforms as well channels on FAST service lineups. In November Vevo teamed up with Publica by Integral Ad Science to open up programmatic opportunities for its connected TV ad inventory.
Updated to add Samsung as an initial voice and search partner.