Thanks to its popular social features, which let you tag and recommend songs, Last.fm grew quickly to 20 million users and was sold to CBS Interactive in May for a cool $280 million. Six weeks later, Last.fm partnered with Sony BMG to stream all of its music for free, and also has deals with Warner Music Group and EMI. So while a controversial fee hike by the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board may force some web broadcasters to shut down, Last.fm's direct deals with the labels means you won't soon be listening to the sounds of radio silence on its site.
CEO: Felix Miller
Location: London, England
URL: last.fm
Launch: 2002
Funding: $5 million (Series A from Index Ventures)
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