Get your groove on: LAUNCHcast plug-in

LAUNCHcast plug-in is a free add-on to Yahoo! Messenger that lets you listen to streaming radio stations. And it’s not just a few stations – there’s dozens of them ranging from “1970s Soul” to “Pop Latino” to “Today’s Big Hits”.

LAUNCHcast is already installed in the plug-in area at the bottom of your window when you start up Yahoo! Messenger 8.1 or 9.0. If you removed it, just click on the Add Plug-ins button to get it back.

To get started, click on one of the stations listed in the window, or click the “All Stations” button to see what’s available. Once a song is playing, you can click the expand arrow on the right hand side of the plug-in window to view the album artwork and song details. Clicking a link takes you to more information about it on Yahoo! Music.

You’ll notice one of the stations listed in the window is “My Station”. This is where you come in. As you use LAUNCHcast, you can rate songs. Along the way, LAUNCHcast learns what kind of music you like and begins to build a personal radio station for you. The more you rate, the smarter it gets and before you know it, you’ve got your own station that plays your favorite songs and artists, and occasionally throws in some new tunes for you.

Like sharing music with your friends? The plug-in will also display the song you’re listening to in your status message. Friends can then see what you’re grooving to and even click on your status to listen to the song and station on their own. The LAUNCHcast status is optional – you’ll be asked the first time you listen whether you want to change your status. Or go to the Messenger menu, choose Preferences, and then click on Yahoo! Music.

LAUNCHcast is free to use but there are periodic commercials. If you want to listen commercial-free, you can upgrade to LAUNCHcast Plus ($2.99 – $3.99 a month depending on the plan). The Plus package also includes access to over 50 additional stations and unlimited song skipping. If you’re unsure about subscribing, you can try it free for seven days.

If you’re like me and have Yahoo! Messenger running most of the day, the LAUNCHcast plug-in is a great add-on. What’s playing on your LAUNCHcast station?

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