Nokia’s MixRadio may now spread beyond Windows Phone.

Previously beneath the Nokia and Microsoft banner, the MixRadio music streaming app transitions into an independent entity. This change happens as its then parent company, Microsoft, applies significant cutbacks. MixRadio will retain its presence on Microsoft’s Windows Phone software, but now has the opportunity to branch out to other platforms, such as Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android.

CEO of MixRadio, Jyrki Rosenberg, has disclosed plans for the app to spin-off, garnering rumored interest from potential investors worldwide, more specifically from the US, Europe, and Asia.

Originally introduced in 2011 as Nokia Music, MixRadio came preloaded on the first set of Windows Phone handsets from Nokia. Not to be compared with Spotify’s on-demand music streaming, MixRadio presented a series of themed playlists, all curated by an internal team at Nokia.

The app was initially free and didn’t feature any advertising, serving more as a means to draw potential Lumia smartphone buyers rather than as a direct source of revenue. However, in 2013, monetization tactics for the app were introduced, such as a £3.99 per month subscription model for upgraded features, which included improved audio quality, unlimited song skips, playlist caching on the device, and access to a web version for non-Nokia devices. This change in strategy also saw the rebranding of the app to MixRadio.

MixRadio primarily catered to Windows Phone users in 31 countries, and Rosenberg acknowledges millions of satisfied users. With its newfound independence, the platform can expand and launch on Android and iOS platforms, which vastly exceed Windows Phone in the market share for smartphones and tablets.

Despite seeing value in the newly discovered independence, Rosenberg refrains from speculating further on the company’s expansion plans.

But high-profile streaming service providers, like Pandora operating in the US, Australia, and New Zealand, are potential competition for MixRadio. Pandora alone boasts over 250m registered and 77m active users, while in the UK, there’s BlinkBox, a Tesco-owned radio service with over 1m users since its launch in 2013.

MixRadio faces challenges not only from standalone radio services but also on-demand streaming services such as Spotify, Deezer, Rhapsody/Napster, and Beats Music, all of which incorporate personal radio features into their apps. The implications of Microsoft’s cutbacks on its Xbox Music streaming service remain unknown.

Rosenberg describes the spin-off of MixRadio as a result of shifts in Microsoft’s entertainment strategy, moving from proprietary services to collaborations with various external organizations.

In sync with these strategical changes, Microsoft has confirmed the potential phasing out of Xbox Entertainment Studios, responsible for original TV shows on the Xbox One console, which may predict an uncertain future for Xbox Music.

This article received a significant update to reflect current circumstances in 2025.

Minor enhancements were applied in 2025 for readability.