Swedish curated music streaming service launches in Czechia

Get your groove on — a new music streaming service has launched in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. What makes Melodies Music different from other services is that it offers playlists that have been curated by a team of experts. The app is available for iOS and Android.

The music streams have no advertising, but users must pay a monthly subscription fee of CZK 79. Unlike some rivals like Spotify, it does not offer a free version beyond a seven-day trial. While the company is headquartered in Sweden, it has picked the Czech Republic and Slovakia as the first two markets to launch in.

“We're now live and couldn't be happier launching the Melodies Music streaming service in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. This is the first step in an ambitious expansion plan with more countries to follow during 2022,” Jesper Gawell, CEO and co-founder of Melodies, said last month when the service began operations.

Gawell added that he believes everyone, everywhere deserves “an amazing music streaming experience.”

“Melodies is based on playlists for all occasions, curated by industry experts and with extreme easiness of use, at maximum value for money. Melodies is a unique music streaming service we believe the people of Czechia and Slovakia will love as much as we do,” Gawell said.

The basic concept is that there is so much music out there, that people need help in finding what they like, so they don’t have to listen to their old favorites over and over.

Curators are common for museums, for example, so that art can be presented in a coherent manner to the public. Restaurants and cocktail bars curate their menus and shops curate the list of items they sell. This is done to create a better experience for the customer.

The playlists on Melodies Music are curated by music industry experts in collaboration with local guest curators.

In Czechia and Slovakia, Melodies is working with Matěj Ruppert, the lead singer of the funk band Monkey Business as well as an actor and well-known TV personality.

“As a true music lover, I’m super excited to be working with Melodies making it easier for everyone to get access to great music,” Ruppert said.

He added that he has created playlists with some of his favorite music that everyone can now enjoy.

All together, the service now offers over 500 playlists in several genres and moods, with music from different eras as well.

People can follow individual curators over the service. Aside from Ruppert, local curators include “Miss Praha,” who is described as a fashionista with an omnivorous musical taste, and Anna, who in particular highlights the work of female musical artists.

People can also select by genre, mood, era, and activity. Lists range from “blues rock” to “working from home” or “office landscape.” Selections aren’t limited to rock and pop. There is also jazz and classical music.

Melodies Music, which so far has just hundreds of downloads, has a long way to go before it catches up to Spotify, which has over 180 million subscribers worldwide.