Spinner (website)

Spinner
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryMedia player
FoundedUnited States
DefunctApril 26, 2013 (2013-04-26)
FateMerged into LiveXLive
HeadquartersUnited States
ParentAOL
Websitehttp://spinner.com

Spinner was an online music and entertainment service.[1] An AOL Music property, it was acquired by AOL on June 1, 1999, along with Nullsoft for $400 million.[2][3][4] Based in San Francisco, California, the website was the first Internet music service and was the largest by 2001, while offering promotional features from high-profile recording artists.[5] In 2002, AOL combined Spinner with the former's Netscape portal to form Netscape Radio.[6] Spinner broadcast over 100 radio stations,[7] including Radio CMJ.[8]

In 2008, Spinner was revamped by AOL as a music website aimed at the "music aficionado".[9] The website offers exclusive interviews of recording artists,[10] streams of albums and live performances, and a free music download daily.[11]

Spinner, along with all AOL music sites, was abruptly shut down in April 2013.[12][13] The URLs to all former AOL music sites, including Spinner, were re-directed to aolradio.slacker.com starting in August 2013. Several AOL Music blogs, along with Comics Alliance, were sold to Townsquare Media in June 2013.[14]

  1. ^ Calhoun 2011, p. 102
  2. ^ Alderman 2002, p. 97
  3. ^ "AOL buys Spinner, Nullsoft for $400 million". CNET. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  4. ^ Farivar, Cyrus (2017-07-03). "Winamp's woes: How the greatest MP3 player undid itself". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  5. ^ Khosrowpour 2006, p. 104
  6. ^ Fries 2005, p. 110
  7. ^ Axford 2004, p. 214
  8. ^ "CMJ On Air". CMJ New Music Report. 79 (5): 29. March 15, 2004. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  9. ^ Brung, Anthony (May 24, 2008). "The Billboard Q&A". Billboard. Vol. 120, no. 21. p. 23. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  10. ^ "The Spinner Interview Posts". Spinner. Archived from the original on 2012-11-27. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  11. ^ "Mp3 Of The Day Posts". Spinner. Archived from the original on 2012-09-20. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  12. ^ "Updated: AOL Music, Spinner Shutting Down". Billboard. April 26, 2013. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  13. ^ Sandoval, Greg (2013-04-26). "Large portion of Aol Music division shuttered". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  14. ^ "Townsquare Acquires Various AOL Music Sites, Comics Alliance". Billboard.biz. Retrieved 12 February 2014.