Two new subscription services have been released from iHeartRadio in beta for iOS and Android.

HeartRadio Plus ($4.99 a month) and iHeartRadio All Access powered by Napster ($9.99 a month) will be the first to offer a service adding on demand functionality and interactivity to live radio. The services are expected to be fully available on mobile and desktop in January.

iHeartRadio Plus:  

• Replay: Instantly replay for songs from the radio and then return to the live radio station in progress
• Live and custom Artist Radio stations: Save button can instantly save songs from radio directly to My Music playlist for playback any time
• Search and Play: Songs from a library with millions of tracks
• Unlimited skips: When listening to custom Artist Radio stations there will no longer be a limit on the number of song skips

iHeartRadio All Access powered by Napster:

• Combines Libraries: Interactive radio functionally of iHeartRadio Plus will be complete with personal music collections and libraries linked seamlessly to the radio
• Flexibility: Listen to music when you want; No playback cap and users have the ability to reorder, delete and sequence the playlist experience as well as manage unlimited playlists
• Offline listening: Take your music and playlists with you everywhere you go, even when you don’t have a data connection

With more than 850 radio stations in 150 markets that reach over a quarter of a billion monthly listeners across the U.S, iHeartMedia has the largest national reach of any radio or television outlet in America. In addition, 84 percent of iHeartRadio users do not currently subscribe to an on demand service.

“10 times more Americans listen to radio every month than use a subscription service ­ so the debut of iHeartRadio Plus and iHeartRadio All Access powered by Napster is a unique opportunity to capture these non-music subscribers with an on demand service built around radio,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. “Whereas the LP, CD and music downloads are the ancestors of all current on demand services, the ancestor for our new on demand offerings is broadcast radio. By combining radio’s popularity and reach with interactive on demand functionality, we have created the first fully differentiated streaming music service for consumers.”

“iHeartRadio Plus and iHeartRadio All Access powered by Napster are revolutionizing how we think of live radio,” said Darren Davis, President of iHeartRadio. “With features such as personal music libraries and playlists, the ability to search and play any song instantly, and the option to save and replay songs directly from live and custom radio listening, our new iHeartRadio on demand offerings are fundamentally changing the way consumers interact with live radio at an unprecedented level. We are introducing a service like no other to tens of millions of consumers across dozens of devices, and also driving massive awareness of the new service to more than a quarter of a billion Americans a month through our broadcast stations alone, which presents a major revenue growth opportunity for our very important strategic partners – artists and the music industry.”

iHeartMedia partnered with Napster to power the music technology back office behind iHeartRadio All Access. Napster brought their depth of experience in on-demand music delivery, customer billing, data and analytics and rights holders’ payments to complement the iHeartRadio-based application.

“iHeartMedia has a unique opportunity to shine a spotlight on the tremendous value premium streaming services bring to music fans, and to the music community at large,” said Mike Davis, Napster CEO. “We’re honored that iHeartMedia selected the Napster platform and brand to power a great music experience for consumers, and we’re excited to play a role in what will be a successful launch.”

Aside from the two new subscription on-demand services, iHeartRadio will remain free.

Photo: Zach Harrison

The founder of the Johnny Cash Museum has opened his second venture in downtown Nashville.

On Wednesday, entrepreneur Bill Miller staged a press party to showcase his new Nudie’s Honky Tonk. Despite its name, this venue is far more than another Lower Broadway honky-tonk. It is a history lesson in country-music culture.

Nudie Cohn, the site’s namesake, was the creator of the spangled fashions worn by classic country stars. His rhinestone-encrusted, appliquéd, fringed and sequined designs exemplified the “look” of country music for decades. Many of these suits and jackets are in glass cases that line the walls of the venue.

“Welcome to the House of Nudie,” said Miller. “We’re very, very proud to bring country music history to Broadway in downtown Nashville. We wanted to bring these names and faces back to Nashville. These are the architects of real country music. Let’s give credit to them, and let’s give credit to Nudie for making them look great.”

Photo: Zach Harrison

Outfits designed for Hank Williams, Merle Travis, Bill Anderson, Tex Williams, Hank Snow, Jody Miller, Johnny Cash and others are on display. So is the iconic, $10,000 gold lame suit that Nudie designed for Elvis Presley. Many of the most elaborate ensembles are the ones that Nudie designed for himself.
Nudie’s flamboyantly customized El Dorado Cadillac is suspended on one wall. It features pistol door handles, embedded silver dollars and longhorn steer antlers. This is one of only nine surviving “Nudie Mobiles.”

The “silver” theme is carried further atop the downstairs bar, said to be the longest bar in Nashville. The entire length of this 100-foot-long serving station is covered in antique silver dollars.

“I stopped counting at 9,465,” said Miller. “There are probably more than 10,000, counting the ones in the upstairs bar.”

Nudie’s Honky Tonk has three stories, all of them filled with artifacts. There are more than 50 vintage country movie and concert posters. Gold and Platinum record plaques represent top-selling albums by Ronnie Milsap, Kenny Chesney, Johnny Paycheck, Alan Jackson, Barbara Mandrell, Emmylou Harris, Chris Stapleton, Tammy Wynette, Toby Keith, The Judds, Keith Whitley, Carrie Underwood, Randy Travis, Garth Brooks, Eric Church, Vince Gill, Tim McGraw, George Strait, Martina McBride, Dolly Parton and more.

Photo: Zach Harrison

Above the two-story entryway are two life-sized bucking bronco statues, with riders. There are three performance stages.

Entertaining the attendees with hardcore country tunes on the main floor’s stage was baritone Nick Cross, accompanied by Brad Mitchell on second guitar and harmony vocals.

A merchandise space in back is lit with the famed Nudie logo’s cowgirl, her lariat made of red neon. Miller pointed out that she was originally nude, and can be seen as such on the labels of some of the earliest jackets, such as the one that belonged to Hank Williams.

“The rhinestone cowboy couture was founded in the hands of Nudie Cohn,” he said. “This attraction serves not only as a historical record of the epicenter where fashion perfectly fused country and Hollywood coutures, but also provides a museum-like environment for patrons to enjoy great food, drinks and music.”

Photo: Zach Harrison

Nashville’s country costumer Manuel was trained by Nudie and continues this distinctive fashion tradition today.

Bill Miller opened the acclaimed Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville in 2013. His next venture in Music City will be a Patsy Cline Museum. Nudie’s Honky Tonk is located at 409 Broadway, in the location formerly occupied by Lawrence Brothers Records.

“It’s all about country music,” said Bill Miller. “It has to be.”

Photo: Zach Harrison