LiveOne
LiveOne, Inc. (NASDAQ: LVO) is an American digital media company headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, that provides a streaming platform for music, live entertainment, podcasts, and related content.[1][2] Incorporated in 2009 as Loton Corp. and later renamed LiveXLive Media, Inc., the company rebranded to LiveOne in October 2021 to reflect its expanded focus on comprehensive music and entertainment experiences.[3][1] The platform combines premium livestreams of concerts and festivals featuring artists such as Taylor Swift and BTS, over 500 curated radio stations across genres like pop, country, and hip hop, hundreds of podcasts including The Adam Carolla Show and Nappy Boy Radio with T-Pain, and on-demand audio and video content from more than 3,000 artists.[2][4] A key component of LiveOne's offerings is Slacker Radio, which it acquired in December 2017 for $50 million, integrating personalized internet radio and boosting its subscription-based revenue to over $65 million by fiscal year 2024.[5][6] The service also includes original programming like Live Zone and I Am The DJ, as well as LiveOne TV, a 24/7 music channel available on platforms such as STIRR.[2] LiveOne emphasizes creator-first experiences and monetization through advertising, branded entertainment, and technology that connects artists with fans globally.[2][4] Recognized as a 2020 Top 10 "Best Online Music Streaming Service" by PC Magazine, LiveOne is accessible across multiple devices including iOS, Android, smart TVs, and web browsers, serving as an all-in-one destination for music discovery and live events.[2]Overview
Description
LiveOne is a Los Angeles-based digital media company that operates as a streaming platform specializing in livestreams of concerts and festivals, on-demand music, curated radio stations, and podcasts.[7][2] Headquartered in California, it serves as an all-in-one destination for music and entertainment, delivering premium global content through memberships, live events, and interactive experiences that connect artists with fans worldwide.[2][8] The company's core business segments include subscription-based audio services, a podcasting network, and live event streaming, enabling users to access ad-free listening, offline playback, and exclusive original content.[9][10][11] Originally incorporated in 2009, LiveOne incorporates major subsidiaries such as Slacker Radio for personalized music streaming and PodcastOne for advertiser-supported audio content.[12][9] As of April 2025, LiveOne reported exceeding 1.5 million subscribers and ad-supported users, reflecting its growth in the competitive digital entertainment landscape.[13] In November 2025, the company reported Q2 fiscal 2026 revenue of $18.8 million.[14]Corporate structure
LiveOne, Inc. is headquartered at 269 South Beverly Drive, Suite 1450, in Beverly Hills, California, where it conducts its primary operations focused on digital media, including music streaming, podcasting, and live entertainment platforms. The company's legal status as a public entity stems from its incorporation in 2009 under the name Loton Corp., with a subsequent name change to LiveXLive Media, Inc. in 2017, and it trades on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol LVO.[15] The ownership structure of LiveOne is characterized by significant control held by its founder, Robert S. Ellin, who serves as CEO and Chairman and owns approximately 22.8% of the company's shares as the largest individual shareholder.[16] Institutional investors play a key role, with approximately 30% institutional ownership overall; major holders include FMR LLC (5.2%).[16] LiveOne's global reach is supported by strategic partnerships aimed at international expansion, exemplified by the October 2025 announcement of plans to launch its subsidiary LiveOneAfrica in partnership with Virtuosity Music Group to tap into the African music market.[17] This initiative, backed by planned funding of up to $20 million through UK Structured Finance Ltd., underscores the company's efforts to extend its digital media operations beyond North America.[18]History
Founding and early development
LiveOne, originally incorporated as Loton, Corp. in Nevada on December 28, 2009, underwent a significant refocus in 2015 under the leadership of Rob Ellin, who became its founder and chief executive officer.[19] Relocating its headquarters to Los Angeles, California, the company rebranded as LiveXLive and shifted its operations toward building a premium internet network dedicated to live music experiences.[20] This pivot marked the beginning of its core mission to create a live social music network offering premium live-streamed digital audio and on-demand video content, addressing the growing demand for accessible live music in a digital format.[21] Ellin's initial efforts centered on securing funding and content partnerships to establish the platform's viability. He raised capital through sales of equity and debt securities, enabling the company to finance its early development amid limited initial revenue.[19] Key milestones included negotiating exclusive broadcast and distribution rights for major festivals, starting with a partnership for Rock in Rio in 2015, which allowed LiveXLive to launch its first livestream events featuring high-profile artists like Rihanna and Metallica.[19] Subsequent deals for events such as Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival and Hangout Music Festival further expanded its content library, with streams beginning in 2015 and 2016, respectively.[22] These early broadcasts helped prototype the platform's technology, including the LXL App released in 2017 for iOS and Android to enhance user engagement through live video streaming and video-on-demand features.[22] Despite these advancements, LiveXLive faced substantial pre-2021 challenges in building its user base against entrenched competitors in the streaming industry, such as Spotify and Apple Music, which dominated on-demand audio and video markets with larger resources and established content relationships.[22] The company reported significant operating losses, totaling over $9 million in the nine months ended December 31, 2016, due to high development costs and minimal revenue from its nascent platform.[19] Auditors raised going-concern doubts in 2016, highlighting the risks of sustaining operations without rapid subscriber growth or additional financing, as the niche focus on live events struggled to differentiate amid broader streaming saturation.[19]Acquisitions and expansion
LiveOne's expansion strategy from 2018 to 2021 emphasized acquisitions to diversify beyond livestreaming into radio, podcasting, merchandising, and live event production, building a multi-platform audio ecosystem. In 2017, the company acquired Slacker Radio, an ad-supported music streaming service, for $50 million, marking its entry into on-demand audio and radio segments. This move integrated Slacker's personalized radio stations and content library into LiveOne's offerings, enhancing user engagement through algorithmic recommendations and expanding its subscriber base.[21] Subsequent acquisitions further solidified this growth. In February 2020, LiveOne acquired React Presents, a Chicago-based electronic dance music promoter, for $2 million in a convertible note deal; React Presents generated nearly $15 million in revenue in 2019 and promoted over 250 events annually, including the Spring Awakening Music Festival, bolstering LiveOne's live event production capabilities.[23] In July 2020, LiveOne acquired PodcastOne, a leading podcast network, for $18.1 million, venturing into the burgeoning podcasting market with ad-supported programming that generated over 2.1 billion downloads annually. Later that year, in December 2020, it completed the all-stock acquisition of Custom Personalization Solutions (CPS), an e-commerce merchandise firm, valued at approximately $12 million and reporting $19 million in 2019 revenue, to bolster merchandising capabilities. Additionally, in late 2020, LiveOne launched its DayOne Music Publishing division to manage music rights and publishing, complementing its content ecosystem without a traditional acquisition structure. These integrations allowed seamless cross-promotion across livestreams, on-demand audio, and merchandise, fostering a unified user experience.[24][25][26] Key to this period were strategic partnerships for content rights, including negotiations securing exclusive streaming deals for over 25 major festivals and 50 events by 2018, such as collaborations with industry leaders for global distribution. These agreements provided LiveOne with rights to produce and stream live events across major territories, driving audience growth and revenue diversification from pure livestreaming to include on-demand audio formats. The impact was evident in revenue progression, rising from $7 million in fiscal 2018 to $65 million by fiscal 2021, reflecting successful ecosystem expansion.[27][28]Rebranding and recent initiatives
In September 2021, LiveXLive announced a comprehensive rebranding to LiveOne, Inc., aiming to reflect its evolving focus on music streaming, podcasting, and live events beyond traditional livestreaming.[29] The corporate name change was completed on October 6, 2021, coinciding with the shift of its Nasdaq stock symbol from LIXL to LVO.[30] As part of this restructuring, the company planned to spin out its pay-per-view business into a separate public entity branded as PPVOne, allowing LiveOne to streamline operations around its core subscription and content platforms.[31] The rebrand extended to key subsidiaries, aligning them under the "One" nomenclature to emphasize unified branding, though as of 2025, subsidiaries such as React Presents and Slacker Radio continue to operate under their original names. LiveXLive's live music promotion arm, React Presents—acquired in 2020—was planned to be renamed ReactOne to highlight its role in event production and artist development.[32] Similarly, its music subscription service, Slacker Radio, was planned to be rebranded as SlackerOne, reinforcing integration with the parent company's ecosystem.[33] This acquisition of PodcastOne in 2020 had influenced the broader rebrand by expanding LiveOne's audio content portfolio.[34] From 2022 onward, LiveOne pursued strategic initiatives to drive growth amid competitive pressures in digital media. In October 2025, the company signed a letter of intent to launch its subsidiary LiveOneAfrica in partnership with Virtuosity Music Group, targeting talent development and original content creation across African markets to tap into emerging music ecosystems as of November 2025.[17] This move supports broader global expansion efforts, including a renewed partnership with Tesla announced in October 2024, which extends exclusive streaming access in vehicles through May 2026 and offers discounted subscriptions to Tesla customers.[35] However, these expansions have occurred against a backdrop of financial challenges, prompting corrective actions to maintain market stability. In September 2025, LiveOne implemented a one-for-ten reverse stock split, effective September 26, to regain compliance with Nasdaq's minimum bid price requirement and avert delisting after receiving a notice on September 25.[36] The company appealed the delisting determination while emphasizing its commitment to global initiatives like LiveOneAfrica to bolster long-term positioning.[37]Products and services
Music streaming and livestreaming
LiveOne's music streaming and livestreaming services center on two primary platforms: LiveXLive, which specializes in livestreamed concerts and festivals, and Slacker Radio, which offers curated and personalized radio stations. LiveXLive provides access to live performances from over 3,000 artists, including major acts such as Taylor Swift and BTS, alongside on-demand video replays of events.[2] Slacker Radio delivers more than 500 handcrafted streaming stations across genres like pop, country, hip hop, and alternative rock, recognized as a top online music streaming service by PC Magazine in 2020.[2][38] Key features include premium memberships that unlock ad-free listening, unlimited skips, offline downloads, high-quality audio, and full on-demand access to millions of songs and videos.[39] The platforms incorporate personalized recommendations based on users' listening and viewing history, with algorithmic suggestions for albums, stations, and live events displayed prominently in the interface.[38][40] Recent enhancements involve AI-driven signals for targeted user engagement, such as personalized upgrade prompts derived from behavioral and location data, including a July 2025 partnership between Slacker Radio and Intuizi to drive subscription growth through AI-powered marketing.[41][42] Content partnerships emphasize exclusive event rights and artist collaborations, enabling unique live sessions and festival broadcasts. For instance, LiveOne has secured deals for livestreaming major events like iHeartRadio festivals, accumulating over 15 million views for such content between 2018 and 2022.[43] Original programming, such as the Live Zone series, features artist-curated sessions and daily shows that blend live performances with interactive elements.[2] User experience is optimized for seamless access across devices, including mobile apps for iOS and Android, web browsers, smart TVs like Roku and Apple TV, and voice-enabled speakers such as Amazon Echo.[2][44] Global streaming supports low-latency technology to minimize delays during live events, ensuring real-time engagement for international audiences.[2] The integrated app interface combines music playback, video streaming, and event discovery in a single, intuitive environment rated highly for ease of use.[38]Podcasting and radio
LiveOne's podcasting operations are primarily managed through its subsidiary PodcastOne, a leading network that produces and distributes original and acquired content across various genres. Acquired by LiveOne in July 2020, PodcastOne features 207 shows that have collectively surpassed 4 billion downloads, positioning it as the ninth-largest U.S. podcast publisher according to Podtrac rankings in October 2025.[45][46][47][48] The network excels in categories such as true crime and comedy, with partnerships like the renewal of five true crime series from A+E Networks that have exceeded 160 million downloads. Notable true crime offerings include serialized investigations that draw millions of listeners, while comedy programs emphasize unfiltered humor and celebrity interviews. PodcastOne's content spans sports and entertainment, with flagship shows like The Adam Carolla Show, a long-running comedy and talk series that celebrated its 4,000th episode in 2025, and The Jordan Harbinger Show, focusing on interviews with experts in psychology and current events. In sports, titles such as The Schaub Show hosted by UFC fighter Brendan Schaub and Notsam Wrestling provide in-depth analysis and wrestler interviews, contributing to the network's strong listener engagement in these verticals.[49][50][47] Complementing its podcasting, LiveOne offers radio services through its Slacker Radio platform, which provides ad-supported free access and premium tiers for an enhanced experience. The free tier includes limited skips and advertisements, while premium subscriptions, such as LiveOne Plus, deliver ad-free listening, unlimited skips, and high-fidelity audio across hundreds of curated channels. These channels are programmed by experts and cover genres including news/talk, comedy, pop, hip-hop, country, and rock, with dedicated stations for news from sources like ABC and sports content from ESPN.[51][2][52][53] PodcastOne handles production through in-house capabilities, including the 2024-launched PodcastOne Pro service, which offers full-spectrum support from scripting to polished audio editing for brands and creators. Content is distributed widely via major platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music, reaching over 1 billion monthly listeners across LiveOne's ecosystem. Monetization occurs primarily through advertising and sponsorships, bolstered by partnerships such as the 2024 exclusive deal with DAX for programmatic audio ads and migrations to hosting services like Amazon's ART19 to optimize ad revenue streams.[54][55][56][57]Merchandise and additional offerings
LiveOne's merchandising arm, operating through its subsidiary Custom Personalization Solutions (CPS), specializes in e-commerce platforms for artist apparel, event gear, and personalized branded merchandise. Acquired in December 2020, CPS facilitates direct-to-consumer sales, including custom products like embroidered apparel and accessories tailored for music and entertainment clients.[25] This service integrates with LiveOne's livestreaming ecosystem, allowing real-time merchandise promotions and purchases during events to enhance fan engagement.[58] In 2021, LiveOne partnered with Merchbar to expand its catalog, distributing products from over 35,000 artists via an online store accessible 24/7 across its platforms.[58] Following the company's rebranding, CPS was renamed PersonalizedMerchOne to align with LiveOne's unified ecosystem.[31] In music publishing, LiveOne's DayOne Music Publishing division manages song rights, royalties, and intellectual property for a diverse roster of artists and creators. Established as a key subsidiary, DayOne focuses on administering publishing catalogs and facilitating licensing opportunities for sync placements in media, advertising, and gaming.[59] In February 2023, DayOne acquired a majority interest in Splitmind, a Los Angeles-based music collective of producers and songwriters known for contributions to major label releases, including Grammy-nominated tracks for artists like SZA and GloRilla.[59] The acquisition also included Drumify, an online marketplace and toolset for beat-makers and producers, offering royalty-retaining sound packs, MIDI kits, and AI-powered search features for music creation.[59] Drumify supports emerging creators by providing production resources used in high-profile projects, such as tracks for Wizkid and NBA YoungBoy.[60] Beyond core merchandising and publishing, LiveOne offers niche branded products through initiatives like its wine venture. In July 2023, the company launched Birthday Sex Wine, a Naked Chardonnay developed in collaboration with R&B artist Jeremih—named after his 2009 hit single—and winemaker Russell Bevan, sourced from Washington state's Columbia Valley vineyards.[61] This 12.5% ABV offering targets music fans with a celebratory theme, expanding distribution into major U.S. markets like California and Georgia by September 2024 via partnerships with distributors such as SOKO.[62] These supplementary services generate revenue primarily through e-commerce commissions on sales and licensing agreements for publishing assets, complementing LiveOne's broader digital entertainment portfolio.[58]Leadership and governance
Executive leadership
Robert S. Ellin serves as the founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of LiveOne, Inc., a position he has held since the company's inception in 2009.[63] In this role, Ellin drives the overall corporate strategy, overseeing operations for both the core LiveOne music streaming and livestreaming platform and the Slacker Radio unit, which LiveOne acquired to enhance its personalized audio offerings.[64] His leadership has emphasized expansion into digital media ecosystems, including the integration of acquired assets to bolster content distribution and user engagement.[29] Ellin has played a pivotal role in key strategic decisions, including the 2021 rebranding from LiveXLive to LiveOne, which unified the company's branding around its streaming and entertainment services while planning a spin-out of its pay-per-view business.[29] Post-2021, he has influenced subsequent acquisitions and partnerships, such as appointing advisors to lead mergers and acquisitions efforts amid ongoing restructuring initiatives.[65] Leadership changes under his direction include the promotion of Ryan Carhart to Chief Financial Officer in February 2025 and the addition of specialized advisors for business development in mid-2025.[66][67] Other key executives include Ryan Carhart, who was elevated from Interim Chief Financial Officer to full CFO effective February 19, 2025, bringing over 20 years of financial management experience in media and technology sectors.[66][68] For subsidiaries, Kit Gray serves as President and Co-Founder of PodcastOne, a major LiveOne entity focused on podcast production and distribution, with a tenure spanning the unit's growth since its integration.[69] No dedicated Chief Technology Officer is prominently listed in current leadership disclosures, with technology oversight integrated into broader operational teams.[70] Executive compensation at LiveOne typically combines base salary, performance-based bonuses, and equity incentives to align with long-term growth objectives. For fiscal year 2025, Ellin's total compensation totaled $558,584, comprising primarily a $500,000 base salary and additional non-equity components, with no reported bonuses.[71] Similarly, Carhart's package emphasizes fixed salary elements at approximately 71% of total pay, supplemented by equity grants.[72] Gray's compensation for PodcastOne reached $402,640 in recent filings, structured with salary and stock awards to support content expansion.[73]Board of directors
The Board of Directors of LiveOne, Inc. consists of seven members as of the 2025 annual meeting, with six independent directors under Nasdaq listing standards.[74] The board emphasizes expertise in media, entertainment, finance, and consumer products to guide the company's strategy in music streaming and digital media.[74] Robert S. Ellin serves as Chairman, overlapping with his role as CEO, while the independent directors bring diverse professional backgrounds to support oversight and governance.[74] Key board members include:- Robert S. Ellin, age 60, Founder, Chairman, and CEO since 2009, with over 25 years in investment and turnaround management, including prior roles at Trinad Capital; he does not serve on standing committees.[74][75]
- Jay Krigsman, age 60, independent director since 2023, with expertise in real estate and asset management; he chairs the Audit and Compensation Committees and serves on the Nominating and Governance Committees; appointed Audit Committee Chairman effective September 5, 2025.[74][76][77]
- Ramin Arani, age 55, independent director since 2023, with 26+ years in investment management at Fidelity Investments and other finance roles; he chairs the Governance and Nominating Committees and serves on the Audit and Compensation Committees.[74][78][79]
- Patrick Wachsberger, age 73, independent director since 2023, a media and entertainment veteran who co-founded Lionsgate Motion Picture Group and served as its Co-CEO; he serves on the Compensation Committee.[74][77]
- Kenneth Solomon, age 62, independent director since 2019, with extensive media and sports television experience as former President of MSG Networks; he serves on the Audit Committee.[74][77]
- Bridget L. Baker, age 63, independent director since 2019, expert in media distribution and technology with prior executive roles at Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures; she serves on the Compensation Committee and represents gender diversity on the board as the sole female member.[74][77]
- Kristopher Wright, age 50, independent director, with background in consumer products and marketing as Vice President at Jordan Footwear (Nike); he serves on the Nominating Committee.[74][77][80]