buzzbishop
on - last edited on
Apple launches iCloud this week with the release of iOS5 and while many of Apple's products have taken other inventions and further innovated them, I'm not sure the music in the cloud solution that Apple has created raises the bar.
Apple's iCloud offering as it pertains to music is a storage service and a $25 annual iTunes Match service (not available in Canada at launch) whereby the music you already own is given amnesty and stored in the cloud.
When it comes to have full access to (most) every song recorded, the subscription services are a simple solution. Rdio is one of the most popular. For $5 a month you have access to the Rdio library. While some had suggested Apple was working on a subscription model, it would have effectively killed their iTunes Music Store business.
This week I took Rdio up on their 1 week free trial and was blown away by the features a music subscription offers.
I downloaded the app (Android, iPhone, Blackberry) and in a matter of clicks I was listening to the new Feist album. Then I switched to Lights' latest. Then I loaded up my archives with Depeche Mode, INXS and Zero 7. All were streamed through the app and then to my car stereo via bluetooth quickly and easily.
As I started the car to head out for the day with son, he cheered "I want some Backyardigans, Daddy" from the back seat. Not a bad test of the system, I quickly dialled up all 3 of the kid song albums and had them streaming for our ride.
The $5 subscription fee gives you access to the complete library via wireless data streaming, but you can also sync tracks to your device for offline play. Rhapsody, Mog (not available in Canada) and Napster are some other subscription models for music.
Apple's new iCloud feature will be very popular. The fact that it is baked into the Apple ecosystem and "just works" will be a great feature, but there are cheaper and better workarounds depending on your needs.
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