Stingray Music

Stingray Music is a Canada-based international multi-platform audio service that broadcasts continuous streaming music and other forms of audio on multiple channel feeds. The service is owned by Stingray Digital.

For the European operations, see Stingray Music (Europe). For the British television channel, see Stingray CMusic.
"Galaxie" redirects here. For other uses, see Galaxie (disambiguation).
Stingray Music
LaunchedSeptember 10, 1997
Owned byStingray Digital
SloganAll good vibes!
CountryCanada
Broadcast areaNational
HeadquartersMontreal, Quebec
Formerly calledGalaxie (1997 - 2014)
Websitemusic.stingray.com/en_CA/

While a song is playing on the audio, channel name, artist, song, Stingray's web address and genre-themed clip art are displayed on every music channel.

History
Original logo of Galaxie from 1997 to 2000. From 2000 to 2003, the orange circle was removed.

The service's beginnings in Canada started in December 1995, when the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was granted approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch a national pay audio service named Galaxie consisting of 30 channels in both English and French.[1]

The service launched as Galaxie on September 10, 1997 under the ownership of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation by offering 30 music channels.[2]

Logo of Galaxie from 2003 to 2009.

Because of service duplication, in 2002, Galaxie and Max Trax (a similar television service owned by Corus Entertainment at the time) agreed to provide a joint 40-channel audio distribution service to satellite and digital cable television providers called Galaxie Max Trax. The package consisted of 20 Galaxie and 20 Max Trax channels.

At the end of December 2008, Stingray Digital held a sound broadcasting license from the CRTC.[3] On February 13, 2009, Corus Entertainment sold its equipment and the Max Trax brand to Stingray[4] so that the service was offered without interruption until Stingray launched its own service.

Galaxie logo used from 2009 to 2014.

On October 1, 2009 the Max Trax brand was discontinued, as its owners, Stingray Digital and the CBC merged the two services together under the Galaxie brand. Stingray Digital, who had been operating as the exclusive sales and development agent for Galaxie since late 2007, officially took over as managing partner in the service upon completion of merger.[5][6]

According to Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) records, Stingray purchased Galaxie from the CBC in May 2011[7] for a reported $65 million.[8]

On November 18, 2011, Stingray announced it had expanded the number of Galaxie channels available to be offered to distributors to 100.[9] On January 10, 2012, Shaw Cable was the first distributor in Canada to launch 15 of those additional channels, the majority of which were focused on various genres of multicultural and multilingual music.[10] The full slate of new channels were rolled out to consumers when SaskTel became the first distributor to carry all 100 channels in May 2012.[11]

On September 30, 2014, Stingray announced it was uniting all of its properties under the Stingray brand, effective immediately, with Galaxie rebranded as Stingray Music,[12] albeit with audio channels still Galaxie branded until early 2015 and the OnDemand music video service is still branded Galaxie with only some music videos Stingray branded.

In 2014, Stingray Music launched a mobile app. The app was later updated in 2015 with 1,500+ personalized channels known as "Vibes" and these channels are also available later on some TV providers, for instance Bell MTS.[13][14][15]

In 2019, it was announced that the Stingray Music's mobile app was made available for free in the U.S. and Canada. Users can choose to listen to the ad-supported service, or pay $0.99 (made-for-students discount)/$3.99 to access the premium service that was already made available to participating TV providers' subscribers. Unlimited skips are also available, whereas before only 6 skips were authorized hourly.[16][17]

Programming

Stingray Music primarily broadcasts music across over 150 uninterrupted channel feeds available worldwide, carefully curated by 25 Montreal-based music programmers and 75 more globally. Each channel is programmed around a particular musical genre or theme, and plays out between 150 and 3,000 songs a day. The channels cover a wide range of genres and sub-genres including pop, rock, jazz, electronic, classical, and more. Programming is primarily in English, however, multiple channels feature programming in French, Spanish, Punjabi, among multiple other languages. The majority of channels broadcasts music, however, other audio feeds are available that broadcast instrumentals, nature sounds, and others.

Stingray Music programmers select the music based on music trends and feedback from viewers. The sequence of tracks and the tracks themselves are constantly updated and scheduled at exact times using professional computer programs, with no block of programming repeats exactly itself and no random playing.[18]

A sample of channels

Note: Ratings of the TV-MA channels are sourced from U.S.'s AT&T U-verse, if they are carried on the provider. Channels with (G) note denotes it (or its format, now exist under a different name) has been carried since the beginning. Channels with (M) note denotes it's been carried over from Max Trax after the two services merged, now may also operate under a different name.

Classical
  • (G) Popular Classical - Popular classical works from composers of the Romantic to the present day, generally of shorter length than most other classical music channels.
  • (G) Baroque
  • (G) Chamber Music
  • Opéra Plus - Opera and classical vocal music.
  • (G) Classic Masters - Concerto, symphonies and ballet works from popular composers of the Classical to the present day, generally of considerable length.

Country
  • (G) Country Classics - Country music and Bluegrass from the 1940s to the 1970s.
  • No Fences - Country music from the 1980s and the 1990s.
  • (G) Hot Country - Country music since the 2000s.
  • (G) Franco Country - A mix of classic to today's francophone country hits.

Dance/Electronic
  • (G) Dance Clubbin' (TV-MA) and Dancefloor Fillers - Current dance, house and club music with the latter channel being more Europe-focused. Cable providers may select which channel they wish to provide.
  • Trance (TV-MA)
  • House
  • Bass, Breaks and Beats - New and upcoming dance music in all kinds.
  • Alternative Dance - Independent dance music in all kinds.
  • Dance Classics - 1970s-1990s electronic-styled dance music, disco and club hits.
  • The Chill Lounge - A mix of electronic chill-out, downtempo, acid jazz and trip hop music.
  • Eclectic Electronic (TV-MA) - A mix of house, trap, dubstep, chillstep, big beat, electro, D&B, minimal, breakbeat and glitch hop music.
  • Dancehall Session - 1980s dancehall classics that target North American audiences.

Easy Listening & New Age
  • (G) Easy Listening - Instrumentals performed by string orchestras and soloists from around the world.
  • New Age - Mix of new age and ambient electronic music without descending into "muzak".

Jazz/Standards & Blues
  • (G) The Blues - Blues music from the 1930's to today.
  • (M) Smooth Jazz - Modern jazz music with hints of pop and rock inspiration.
  • Big Band - Music from the big band era.
  • (M) Swinging Standards - Big band, swing, adult standards & vocal jazz.
  • (G) Jazz Now - "An aural snapshot" of current jazz.
  • Cool Jazz - Non-stop cool jazz.
  • (G) Jazz Masters - Music from American artists who helped shape modern jazz.
  • Motown - Jazz music produced by the Motown label.

Kids & Family
  • (G) Kids' Stuff - A blend of music popular with youngsters and "tweens", including TV and movie soundtracks. (G) Mousses Musique and Solo para Peques are, respectively, the channel's French and Spanish versions.
  • OMG - Popular music geared towards 9-13 year old group.

Latin
  • Latin Pop - Today's hottest salsa, samba, merengue, flamenco, tango, reggaeton and reggae hits.
  • Latino Tropical - Music popular in tropical locations, such as the Caribbean.
  • Romance Latino - A mix of romantic and popular Spanish love songs from the past and present.
  • Jazz Latino - Latin jazz music, including bossa nova and afro-cuban jazz genres.
  • Latino Urbana (TV-MA) - Urban music popular in Latin communities such as Reggaeton and Latin hip-hop.

Religious
  • (M) The Light - Inspiring and uplifting Christian and worship music from the 1980s to the present.
  • Gospel - Modern and traditional gospel music.

Pop & Decades
  • (G) Pop Adult - A mix of pop hits that include youth-oriented music without rap.
  • (G) Jukebox Oldies - The biggest hits between 1950 and 1967.
  • (G) Flashback '70s - Hits between 1968 and 1978.
  • (G) Remember the '80s - Hits between 1979 and 1989.
  • Nothin' but '90s - Hits from the 1990s.
  • Y2K - Hits from the 2000s.
  • (G) Hit List - Popular and upcoming top 40 hits. Remixes may also air.
  • (M) Maximum Party and All Day Party - Uptempo pop, hip-hop and dance music for special occasions and parties with the latter channel being more female-friendly. Cable providers may select which channel they wish to provide.
  • Greatest Hits - The biggest hits between the 1960s and 2000s.
  • (G) Souvenirs - A French-English mix of mid 1970s-mid 2000s pop music.
  • (G) Franco Pop - A mix of 1990s French pop and urban music.
  • (G) Nostalgie - A mix of 1950s-1970s French pop music.
  • Franco Retro - A mix of 1960s-1970s yéyé music.
  • Total Hits - The biggest hits on a country's charts. Currently there are ten linear feeds: Austria, Brazil, England, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Poland, Russia and Spain; plus a similarly formatted feed for Switzerland called Swiss Hits.
  • Euro Hits - Similar to Hit List, but made specifically for the pan-European region.
  • (M) Le Top Détente - A mix of francophone and anglophone adult contemporary music.

Rock
  • (M) Rock (TV-MA) - Rock hits of all kinds from the 1980s to today.
  • Hard Rock (TV-MA)
  • (G) Classic Rock - Album-oriented playlists from the late 1960s and 1970s with artists who helped pioneer the genre of rock music.
  • Headbangers (TV-MA) - Aggressive sounding metal music using exotic and experimental techniques and genres. Most, if not all music on this channel is from the 2000s and 2010s.
  • (G) Rock Alternative (TV-MA) - Current alternative rock hits.
  • Drive - A mix of soft rock and pop rock.
  • Heavy Metal (TV-MA) - An mix of 1970s-1990s heavy metal music.
  • (G) Adult Alternative (TV-MA) - Alternative music from the 1980s to today that is targeted for more adult audiences.
  • Rock en Español - A mix of Spanish rock and Latin alternative music, both classics and currents.
  • (G) Franco Attitude (TV-MA) - A mix of French-Canadian current and up-and-coming rock, folk and rap.
  • Rock Anthems - A mix of arena rock and modern rock; music is played in blocks, separated by decade.
  • Southern Jams - Southern rock music.
  • Indie Classics
  • Alt Rock Classics

Urban
  • (M) Urban Beats (TV-MA) - Today's hottest hip-hop and R&B music, as well as classics from time to time.
  • Soul Storm - Soul & R&B from the past two decades.
  • Hip-Hop (TV-MA) - Uncensored Hip-hop hits since the 2000s.
  • Classic Hip-Hop - Old-school Hip-hop hits and rare tracks from the late 1970s to the early 2000s.
  • Classic R&B & Soul - Urban adult music and sultry, slow jams.
  • Groove - A mix of old-school disco and funk music.
  • Retro R&B - A variety of funk, soul, and Motown hits from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Others

Artist development

Stingray Music sponsors a number of "Stingray Rising Stars Awards" (formerly Galaxie Rising Stars) presented at a variety of music festivals and awards presentations each year, including Canadian Music Week's Indie Awards, the East Coast Music Awards, and the Western Canadian Music Awards, among numerous others.[19] Stingray also sponsors an annual Songs from the Heart competition for new and emerging songwriters. The Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award is presented to the winner of the competition.

International

Americas

Stingray Music is also carried in both the United States and the Caribbean via various television providers. Expansion began in 2009 with the addition of Stingray to various smaller market television providers in the U.S. and in 2010, Galaxie was added to WIV Cable TV in the Turks and Caicos[20] as well as Trinidad and Tobago.[21] In April 2011, Galaxie further expanded their reach in the US when American cable company Insight Communications chose Galaxie as their new radio provider to replace MTV Networks' defunct Urge service across their service area in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.[22] Galaxie further expanded into the Caribbean with the launch onto Jamaican television provider Telstar Cable.[21] In October 2011, Galaxie was further added to more US television services.[23] Galaxie furthered its expansion into the Caribbean and Latin American regions with its launch on various television providers in a number of different countries including St. Marteen, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and 10 others.[24]

On October 29, 2014, Stingray Music launched on AT&T U-verse, adding approximately six million subscribers.[25] In December 2018, Altice USA reached an agreement with Stingray to replace its main rival, Music Choice, on its cable systems (including former Cablevision systems in New York City, and Suddenlink). At the same time, Stingray abandoned its bid to acquire Music Choice.[26][27]

Europe
Main article: Stingray Music (Europe)

Stingray purchased the European operations of Music Choice in 2011, which rebranded as Stingray Music in April 2015.[28][29]

In 2014, Stingray Digital acquired Dutch premium service XLnt Radio (along with Lite TV) from the Archibald Media Group.[30]

Oceania

In Australia, Stingray partners with pay television provider Foxtel to offer a suite of audio channels under the name Foxtel Music via the latters' cable and satellite services. Foxtel subscribers also have access to the Stingray Music app, allowing users to stream the channels on their mobile device.[31]

References
  1. Decision CRTC 95-914, CRTC, 12-20-95
  2. Galaxie celebrates its 10th anniversary with record number of listeners, Newswire.ca, 09-10-07
  3. "Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2008-368". CRTC. December 23, 2008.
  4. "Corus Entertainment Enters Into Agreement with Stingray Digital Group Inc". Corus Entertainment. February 13, 2009.
  5. STINGRAY MUSIC [@stingraymusic] (1 October 2009). "Galaxie officially introduces new brand today. Some new channel names, same great programming, same channel positions. New website soon!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. "Life's on you, Music's on us - Music Streaming". Stingray Music. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  7. "CRTC ownership chart for Stingray Digital" (PDF). Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  8. Novacap to see eight-fold return on public sale of Stingray shares, PEHUB.com, 06-03-15
  9. Galaxie Doubles Music Channels Broadcaster Magazine 2011-11-18
  10. New Music Channels Online, On TV from Shaw Mediacaster Magazine 2012-01-10
  11. SaskTel's Max TV to Add Additional Galaxie Channels Broadcaster Magazine 2012-05-16
  12. Stingray (press release) (2014-09-30). "Stingray Unveils a New Visual Identity and Launches a New Version of their Mobile App". Marketwired. Retrieved 2014-10-01.
  13. David Friend, "Montreal's Stingray Digital wades into music streaming waters," Toronto Star, July 6, 2015.
  14. Bertrand Marotte, "Stingray ups ante in mobile music sphere with new version of its app," The Globe and Mail, July 6, 2015.
  15. "Stingray Music - Vibes TV App" (PDF).
  16. https://www.stingray.com/about-us/press-room/news-and-press-releases/top-rated-stingray-music-mobile-app-now-available-free
  17. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/10/03/1924947/0/en/Top-Rated-Stingray-Music-Mobile-App-Now-Available-Free-in-the-US.html
  18. "Galaxie - Support / FAQ". 2011-01-22. Archived from the original on 2011-01-22. Retrieved 2018-05-26.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  19. "Galaxie Rising Stars Program of the CBC". Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  20. WIV Cable TV Expands Their Musical Universe with Galaxie Music TV Service PR.com 2010-12-24
  21. "Galaxie Music Service Launched in Jamaica on Telstar Cable". Playbackonline.ca.
  22. "Insight Communications Offering Galaxie Music Service to Digital Cable Customers". technews.tmcnet.com. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  23. Galaxie Music Mediaroom Launches with Three Telcos PR.com 2011-10-27
  24. Galaxie Music Service Rapidly Expands in the Caribbean and Latin America Stingray Digital Group press release via PR.com 2013-01-30
  25. Sean Silcoff (October 27, 2014). "Stingray scores AT&T music-streaming deal, targets DirecTV". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  26. "Stingray abandons move to acquire Music Choice". Digital TV Europe. 2019-01-04. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  27. Farrell, Mike. "Stingray Abandons Music Choice Takeover Bid". Multichannel. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  28. Music Choice Europe sold for a song BroadbandTVNews.com, 4 April, 2011
  29. New music app and visual identity for Stingray BroadbandTVNews.com, 5 March, 2015
  30. Stingray Digital acquires Dutch music channels BroadbandTVNews.com, 13 June, 2014
  31. https://www.foxtel.com.au/support/tv/apps-extras/stingray-music-app.html
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