May 18, 2009: SoulandJazz.com launched its unique, legal and commercial free podcasting service. Two years and eight months on and we’re listened to and read in 154 countries and play host to 515 podcasts featuring music across the spectrum of Soul and Jazz from the last 80 years. Each month at least 30 new, free to download, CD quality, DJ-led podcasts are posted and we’d like to think there’s something for everyone.

All podcasts are currently available to download in HD+ (320 kbps) with subscribers being notified directly via the RSS feed or iTunes with each new posting. A playlist is also provided and contains full artist details, track and album title, along with the original year of release.

Originally, SoulandJazz.com was conceived as a streaming internet radio station. It was only during the research and development stage that it was felt that both the convenience and portability of podcasting outweighed the restraints at that time of our initial idea. This has certainly since, provided a solid platform to introduce our programming ideas to the world.

Early in 2011 we launched our Be Heard! service – our affordable US, UK & European promotional and testing service for both CD and digital album/EP releases and have already worked alongside such fantastic artists as Avery*Sunshine, Gregory Porter and Debórah Bond.

SoulandJazz.com Records also premiered in April 2011 with our very first, twelve track release: The Hurst Selection 1. Please feel free to click on the link which will take you to a preview page with details of all the good stuff.

As we move into 2012 we continue to look to broaden our audience, which continues to grow, month-on-month. Currently our podcasts are downloaded and listened to over 30,000 hours per week. Incredible. Mainly though, we’re getting ready to launch test programming/streaming of SoulandJazz.FM later this month, which in turn will lead to the official unveiling of the station.

SoulandJazz.FM will see DJ-led, 24/7, advert free programming, featuring presenters from our current podcasts alongside many exciting new shows, specialist features and live guest interviews. Not least, The Hurst Selection which will be broadcast live, four hours daily, Monday – Friday along with its return to Saturday evenings.

SoulandJazz.FM will be a membership based service and from Day 1 will offer the following subscription levels:

MONTHLY – *£9.99/$12.75 per month

Members will have full access to our CD quality programming/streaming, 24/7. All of the above will be in addition to our current podcast service.

SIX MONTHLY – *£58/$75

Members will have full access to our CD quality programming/streaming, 24/7 and will receive a SoulandJazz.com T-Shirt, or two editor’s choice CD’s, along with ‘first-listen’ access to specialist podcasts. All of the above will be in addition to our current podcast service.

ANNUAL – *£114/$142

Members will have full access to our CD quality programming/streaming, 24/7 and will receive a SoulandJazz.com T-Shirt, five editor’s choice CD’s, ‘first-listen’ access to specialist podcasts, artist free downloads and exclusive invites to listening parties, live performances and networking events held in the US, UK and Italy. Discounted admission to live ‘ticketed’ concert events promoted by SoulandJazz.com will be made available to our annual members. A membership card will also be issued that will enable discounts to be obtained in retail and leisure outlets throughout the US and UK; more on this shortly. All of the above will be in addition to our current podcast service.

Here’s another nice bit. To continue to tempt you into becoming a member prior to the membership becoming generally available, we’ve extended our lovely incentive through January that encourages you to support us and help us both ease our overdraft and keep us ahead of our studio build schedule in Georgia and here in the UK! And what might that be? In addition to the benefits of the ANNUAL membership we’ll include a sixth CD – a signed copy of The Hurst Selection 1 compilation. In total, a fantastic T-Shirt and six CD’s can be yours this instant when you subscribe. And don’t worry. Your membership will run until our official launch date and then a further 12 months from that date as well. Bargain!

We will be adopting across all of our streams and podcasts the latest AAC+ file formats which in essence will make for faster downloads, far less buffering when streaming and efficient data transfer/smaller file size, when downloading podcasts to any mobile device. This will work seamlessly with the iPhone, iPad and Android devices and our thoughts here centre very firmly on music on the move.

Later in 2012 will also see the proposed roll-out of SoulandJazz.TV and this will certainly be at the forefront of our thinking when developing the technologies within both our offices in the UK and Georgia. Live performances and webcasts will play a large part in our future scheduling!

We hope all of this gets you thinking and for further information or queries, please contact Brian Hurst: info@soulandjazz.com

Stereo, not stereotypical®

Enjoy!

SoulandJazz.com is affiliated with PRS for Music: Licence No: LE-0004556