Slacker
Slacker is a San Diego-based interactive internet radio and music streaming service, now a wholly-owned brand subsidiary of LiveOne Inc., that licenses its content through B2B partnerships to telecom carriers, automotive OEMs (via AT&T Connected Car), and consumer electronics manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, Vizio, and Amazon.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Slacker does
Slacker is an interactive internet radio and music streaming service founded in 2006 and headquartered in San Diego, California, that currently operates as a wholly-owned brand subsidiary of LiveOne Inc. (NASDAQ: LVO). Its core technology is a music streaming platform with podcast content, integrated into connected vehicles and consumer electronics devices through carrier and OEM embedding arrangements. The product surface spans a consumer-facing Slacker Radio app and a B2B content distribution business that licenses curated music and entertainment programming to platform partners.
The company's business model is B2B licensing rather than direct-to-consumer subscription at scale. Slacker Radio content is bundled into AT&T's Connected Car platform (alongside Cisco's multi-party billing infrastructure), reaching 70 million AT&T subscribers and 60+ global automotive brands, and is also embedded within Samsung, LG, Vizio, and Amazon device ecosystems. Customer segments are exclusively enterprise/business-unit — automotive OEMs seeking simplified in-vehicle entertainment, consumer electronics manufacturers needing native music content, and telecommunications carriers looking for differentiated premium offerings. Pricing details are not publicly disclosed; the recurring nature of the licensing arrangements generates predictable subscription-style revenue.
Slacker's go-to-market is channel-driven and embedded rather than direct: strategic B2B partnerships with major platforms are announced at industry events such as AutoTech Detroit, and visibility is achieved through partnership PR rather than performance marketing. The company has 101-250 employees, is privately operated at the subsidiary level, and historical standalone funding of approximately $75 million (2007-2011) preceded its integration into LiveOne. No independent revenue figure for the Slacker brand is disclosed; it operates within LiveOne's broader music streaming segment.
Slacker firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Slacker
- Legal name
- Slacker Radio (brand owned by LiveOne Inc.)
- Website
- https://slacker.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Slacker is a San Diego-based interactive internet radio and music streaming service, now a wholly-owned brand subsidiary of LiveOne Inc., that licenses its content through B2B partnerships to telecom carriers, automotive OEMs (via AT&T Connected Car), and consumer electronics manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, Vizio, and Amazon.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Slacker industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Streaming
- NAICS
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Sound Recording Industries (5122)
- SIC
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Non-Interactive Digital Radio (Lean-Back Streaming) (MPAIACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Enterprise/B2B Music Streaming (Business Background Music) (MPAIACAJ), Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ)
Keywords
Where Slacker is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Slacker business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Subscription/ B2B Licensing: Slacker Radio generates revenue through B2B licensing deals with AT&T, Samsung, Amazon, Vizio, and LG, where content is bundled with connected car platforms and device ecosystems
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels2 records
Slacker product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Slacker Radio is an interactive internet radio and music streaming service that delivers curated audio content to end users. The brand operates primarily as a B2B content licensing product, bundled into carrier, automotive OEM, and consumer electronics partner platforms (including AT&T Connected Car, Samsung, LG, Vizio, and Amazon), with a direct-to-consumer app available as well.
Product overview
LiveOne operates as a digital entertainment platform offering a portfolio of music and podcast products. The core LiveOne platform serves as the main consumer-facing service for music, podcasts, and live content, while Slacker Radio represents a B2B content licensing brand integrated into third-party platforms such as automotive and connected devices. PodcastOne operates as a subsidiary podcast platform that has been grown significantly since acquisition, contributing substantial revenue. The products serve both direct-to-consumer and enterprise distribution channels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Slacker Radio
Companies that use Slacker
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Slacker technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature1 record
Slacker partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- AT&TcoreAT&T expanded its Connected Car platform through collaboration with LiveOne, enabling automotive OEMs to integrate Slacker Radio premium in-vehicle entertainment with simplified connectivity and billing. Slacker Radio is available as a bundled option in select AT&T-connected vehicles, reaching 70 million subscribers.
- CiscocoreCisco provides multi-party billing capabilities as part of the AT&T Connected Car platform collaboration, working alongside LiveOne's Slacker Radio content and AT&T's wireless network backbone.
- AmazoncoreB2B partnership with Amazon generating over $20 million in revenue as part of LiveOne's strategic partnership momentum with Fortune 500 companies.
- ParamountcoreB2B partnership with Paramount generating over $26 million in revenue, representing one of LiveOne's major enterprise partnerships.
- SamsungmajorStrategic B2B partnership with Samsung for Slacker Radio content distribution through Samsung's ecosystem including smart TVs and connected devices.
- ViziomajorStrategic B2B partnership with Vizio for Slacker Radio distribution through Vizio smart TV platform.
- LGmajorStrategic B2B partnership with LG for Slacker Radio distribution through LG smart TV and device ecosystem.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Slacker competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pandora (SiriusXM): Pandora is the closest direct competitor — an interactive internet radio / lean-back streaming service — and is now part of SiriusXM, expanding into in-vehicle distribution. Both services are station-based, music-licensing-driven DSPs with similar format and audience overlap, directly comparable to Slacker's core lean-back radio product.
- iHeartRadio: iHeartRadio operates free internet radio plus live AM/FM station streaming, with deep OEM and automotive integrations (including connected-car and dash platforms). It is the most direct peer in the radio-streaming + embedded-distribution category that defines Slacker's GTM.
- TuneIn: TuneIn aggregates live radio, sports, news and podcasts globally and ships pre-installed on automotive and smart-device platforms (Tesla, Garmin, Alexa, etc.). Its OEM/embedded distribution model mirrors Slacker's device-tied approach and competition set.
- Stingray Music: Stingray is a B2B music, digital media and audio content company that distributes curated audio services to telecom carriers, cable operators, and commercial businesses. Its enterprise/business-background-music and carrier-embedded models directly parallel Slacker's B2B licensing motion.
Broad incumbents
- SiriusXM: SiriusXM is the dominant subscription in-vehicle audio incumbent (satellite plus streaming) and now owns Pandora. It overlaps Slacker's in-car content opportunity with vastly larger scale, OEM relationships, and exclusive content (Howard Stern, sports, live music).
- Spotify: Spotify is the global leader in music streaming and podcasts, with growing automotive integrations (Car Thing, automotive OEM apps, Android Automotive). It competes with Slacker across both the lean-back and on-demand surfaces and across multiple device ecosystems.
- Apple Music: Apple Music is a leading global subscription music service with deep iOS/CarPlay/device integration. While lean-back is not its heritage, its scale and OEM partnerships (including default trials in vehicles) make it a broad incumbent competitor for the same connected-car and consumer-device audio surface.
- Amazon Music: Amazon Music is a Slacker B2B partner (>$20M LiveOne deal) and a competing DSP with deep Alexa/Echo/device integrations and automotive partnerships. It is simultaneously a customer and a competitor across consumer streaming and embedded audio.
- LiveOne (parent): LiveOne is the parent company that owns Slacker Radio and PodcastOne. It is the public-market vehicle through which Slacker's value is monetized — a comparable for streaming-platform operators with diversified audio assets and B2B licensing scale.
Regional players
- Deezer: Deezer is a subscription music streaming service with strong European carrier/device partnerships (e.g., Orange, T-Mobile embedded tiers). Comparable to Slacker in B2B licensing model and device-bundling approach, though primarily competing in EMEA rather than North America.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Slacker social profiles
Digital presenceSlacker financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Slacker leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Slacker funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Slacker M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Slacker
What does Slacker do?
Slacker Radio is an interactive internet radio and music streaming service that delivers curated audio content to end users. The brand operates primarily as a B2B content licensing product, bundled into carrier, automotive OEM, and consumer electronics partner platforms (including AT&T Connected Car, Samsung, LG, Vizio, and Amazon), with a direct-to-consumer app available as well.
Is Slacker a public or private company?
Slacker is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Slacker founded?
Slacker was founded in 2006. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Slacker based?
Slacker is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Slacker make money?
One revenue line is on record: subscription/ B2B Licensing.
Who are Slacker's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pandora (SiriusXM), iHeartRadio, TuneIn and Stingray Music. Broad incumbents are SiriusXM, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and LiveOne (parent). Deezer is listed as a regional player.
Does Slacker have an API?
No public API is recorded for Slacker.
What industry is Slacker in?
Slacker's product category is Music Streaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIACAB, Non-Interactive Digital Radio (Lean-Back Streaming), with a secondary code of MPAIACAJ, Enterprise/B2B Music Streaming (Business Background Music). Its NAICS code is 516110 and its SIC code is 4832.