iHome to Deliver Smart Speakers for All With Melody Music Assistant

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- iHome, the leader in award-winning speakers, portable devices and smart home control solutions, today changes the game for music lovers as it unveils a new line of devices optimized to use Melody, the new personal music assistant from Speak Music.

Melody capable devices from iHome will let users control their music with the push of a button and their own voice, while leaving their phone tucked away. Utilizing a smart phone or tablet with the new iOS Melody app (Android app coming in Q1), turns supported iHome portable speakers, clock radios or headphones into smart devices – allowing users to retrieve their favorite music and audio content using their voice.

Users can access popular music and audio content via Spotify*, iHeartRadio** and NPR News at launch, with support for Apple Music, iTunes and more planned. Now, anyone can be the DJ at a party by just asking for their favorite tracks, artist, playlist, or genre. Just push the button, provide the command and Melody makes it happen. Thousands of voice commands are supported, and thanks to Melody's personalization, it gets smarter the more it is used.

The Melody Personal Music Assistant is hands- and eyes-free, and was designed with millennials and multitaskers in mind. Whether driving, running, or exercising - there's no need to pull out a phone, unlock it and launch an app to switch tracks or load a playlist.  The safety benefits are clear, just use your voice to connect to your favorite tunes.

"For iHome, providing the best acoustic experience isn't enough anymore. Now, with our partner Speak Music, we can deliver a convenient, seamless voice enabled user experience that is not tethered to home Wi-Fi," said Gary Schultz, Director of Business and Product Development. "Since this technology relies on the processing capability of the user's mobile phone, we can deliver a unique voice enabled music assistant that goes wherever you go and no longer is limited by the range of your home or office Wi-Fi."

"We are excited to be partnering with iHome to provide their customers with voice-powered access to their favorite music," said Dean Summers, President of Speak Music. "Melody-enabled iHome products provide users with the ability to interact with iHome devices using their voice, and take that experience with them wherever they go."

The new Melody enabled products are on display at iHome's booth at CES in Las Vegas by appointment.

About iHome

iHome was formed in 2005 as a division of SDI Technologies, founded in 1956. Today, iHome is the #1 selling brand in digital player speakers, including its acclaimed lines of Weather Tough and Color Changing speakers.

In 2016, iHome introduced its much-praised Zenergy line of sleep therapy speakers and popular Vanity Mirror with music and speakerphone capabilities, as it continues to bring its innovations to every room in the home.

iHome is also pioneering a new era of connected consumer electronics with the release of its iHome Control line of smart home products including SmartPlugs and SmartMonitor. The line is compatible with Apple HomeKit and can be voice controlled through both Siri and Amazon Alexa. Through partnerships with Nest, Wink, Amazon Echo and Apple, iHome's line of smart home products offer the broadest compatibility in the market.

iHome's products can be found worldwide through virtually every distribution network in over 40 countries. For more information on iHome and its products, visit ihomeaudio.com, Facebook (facebook.com/iHome), or follow @iHome on Twitter.

About Speak Music

Speak Music is redefining the consumer mobile music experience — with Melody, the industry's most advanced voice powered music assistant, it is putting the power of voice to work for consumers to play any song, artist, playlist or radio station with a simple voice command.  Powered by natural language processing and artificial intelligence, the Melody Platform enables hands-free access to popular music streaming services – iHeartRadio, Spotify Premium, NPR and more. Speak Music was founded by Zak Mandhro, Mark Anderson and Dean Summers - serial entrepreneurs from Google, Zynga and Ericsson who bring rich experiences to its strategy and product innovation. Speak Music closed its first round of financing in 2016.

For more information on Speak Music and Melody visit Melodyapp.ai, on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/melodyappai/ or follow @MelodyAppAI on Twitter.

*Requires Spotify Premium Account

**Requires iHeartRadio Account, (only available in US)

SOURCE iHome