Electric Jukebox is a streaming music dongle for your TV

You may roll your eyes at the idea of yet another streaming music service, but Electric Jukebox aims to differentiate from rivals like Apple Music and Spotify by making things drop-dead simple, with no need for an app or any device configuration. Electric Jukebox is simply a HDMI dongle that plugs into a television and uses a WiFi connection. The device is meant to appeal to people who have no understanding of what a streaming music service is, and whose most complicated music decision was picking a radio station.

Electric Jukebox has no apps and doesn't require any user accounts, the only thing needed after taking it out of the box is plugging it into the TV. Priced at $229, the device may seem a bit expensive, but that includes a one-year Premium Pass, giving users access to curated playlists. After that year, the service becomes ad-supported, with the option to purchase another year for $60.

Also unique about the hardware is the controller, which features a microphone at the top for voice-powered search, and a motion sensor, allowing users to point and move the on-screen cursor when navigating the Jukebox's interface. There are only four buttons, consisting of OK for making selections, along with Back, Pause, and Voice for activating verbal searches.

The dongle does have a 3.5mm line-out port for connecting an external speaker, but there's no way to connect headphones unless it's directly to the television. And because the device basically turns the TV into a digital jukebox, there's really no way to change the channel or use the display for another activity at the same time. There's also no details yet about the music catalog, but Electric Jukebox promises there will be "tens of millions" of songs to listen to.

The device is available to pre-order from Electric Jukebox's website from today, where for the next seven days buys can save $30. It will also be coming to retail stores before the year's end.

SOURCE Electric Jukebox