8tracks comes back from the dead after having closed its doors at the end of 2019. Launched on 8th August 2008 the streamer initially offered a globally available streaming service which in 2016 was restricted to the US and Canada due to licensing concerns. The streaming service has resumed in the US with a resumption of service in Canada within days. The 8tracks platform and brand are now owned and operated by BackBeat Inc., a new startup which acquired a portion of 8tracks’ assets during its wind-down earlier this year.
While certain music will not be available due to licensing restrictions, most existing playlists will be available to stream. If you still have the iOS app on your device, it will work out of the box. The streamer will be re-introducing mobile apps and playlist creation in the months ahead.
More details on how BackBeat was formed and its future plans are explained in a blog posting by the streamer.
Subscribers who still had time at the end of 2019 will receive extended access to 8tracks Plus for the amount of remaining time they should have received on their originally purchased subscription plan. The streamer says it has ‘a formula for this and it will be automatically applied to your account.’
For those interested in trying out 8tracks there is a 14-day free trial available and subscriptions will be $4.99 thereafter.
