The service, MyMusicCloud, provides 2GB of online storage for free and 5GB of additional storage for $10 a year. However, for a limited time, the service will be offering promotional codes at partner sites (like hypebot.com and techchick.com) for 5GB of free storage for a year. Five gigs can also be earned by purchasing 10 songs through the service’s music store or giving its Facebook page a “like.” MyMusicCloud’s music store has more than 11 million songs, some selling for as little as 19 cents each.
What’s more, not only is the service global—you can get it anywhere on earth—but it works with any computer, smartphone, media player, tablet, or Web-enabled TV. “MyMusicCloud provides a seamless solution that may be used across multiple devices simultaneously,” TriPlay CEO Tamir Koch said in a statement.
However, users of Apple devices will have to wait a few days before they can obtain an app for MyMusicCloud, as the service’s app is still pending approval by Apple before it can appear in the company’s app store.
The service supports both music streaming and synchronization between devices. You can listen to your music both offline and online. And unlike most music services, it synchronizes your devices directly with the cloud, not with another computer. That means no cables, no side-loading, and no file transfers.
Other features of the service include access to song lyrics and the ability to create ringtones from songs.
Despite some attractive features, MyMusicCloud is entering a very competitive market. Amazon, for example, has its own cloud music offering, with 5GB of free storage, plus an additional 20GB if you buy an MP3 from Amazon’s music store. Apple has its iCloud for users of devices in its ecosystem. Google has Google Music, which is still an invitation-only service but has the potential to be a big player in the market. Even Research In Motion, makers of the Blackberry smartphone, is dabbling with cloud music, although its tepid offering has been pronounced dead on arrival by some critics.
Nevertheless, MyMusiCloud may be able to hit a sweet spot that its big-time competitors may be missing. “Cloud storage and access of music files will become increasingly important to music consumers, and they are going to expect to be able to access these libraries on multiple devices,” explained Mike McGuire, a research vice president with Gartner’s Media Industry Advisory services.
“Enabling consumers to share their taste in music across their social graphs, coupled with the ability to drive incremental transactions from their social-network friends, is the type of alignment between online stores, consumer devices, and online services that will be increasingly important for music-industry stakeholders and consumers,” he added.
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