The processor is the brain of a computer - Chris Long, IT journalist
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RIM introduces its BBM music service
CANADIAN MOBILE PHONE OUTFIT Research in Motion (RIM) has unveiled an on-the-go music service to rival the likes of Spotify and We7.
RIM's music streaming service runs though Blackberry Messenger (BBM) and is currently in closed beta testing in the Canada, the US and the UK. When it is made available to users later this year, the firm will charge a monthly subscription fee of $4.99.
Mike Lazaridis, co-CEO of RIM said, "More than 45 million customers already love the social communication benefits delivered through BBM and we are thrilled to be extending the experience into a uniquely social and interactive music service."
The system works by allowing users to select a personal library of up to 50 tracks. Once you have friends added to your 'BBM Music Community' you can share up to all of your tracks with them and vice versa. So the more friends you have the bigger your shared music library becomes.
You can listen to your friends' music in full and there will be the option to download tracks for listening offline. You could have a bit of a competition because the service allows users to track how many friends are listening to their music.
A BMM Music app will show new friends, added or removed tracks and other things like comments on playlists. Users will be limited to changing or swapping half of the 50 tracks in their personal library each month so they'll best pick wisely.
Last Friday we heard that the firm had signed a deal with one of the four major record labels but today's announcement details that the firm has managed to get all four involved. The service will include millions of tracks from Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and EMI Music. µ
Tags: Software
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At first glance it might appear to be a bit weak, but when you add a few friends it could be pretty sweet. If you had 9 friends, you have a library of 500 songs per month for 5 bucks.
As a Blackberry user I applaud RIM's desire to provide a music subscription service. However, as a music fan of many genres I cannot possibly imagine paying for a service that limited me to listen to 50 tracks, and switch only 25 of those per month.
I'm afraid if I subscribed to this, I would spend more time listening to music that I had added to my card outside this service than music from the subscription.
If you compare this with something like Spotify, I can't imagine anyone would think that 50 songs is worth $4.99 a month. Unless they re-examine this, it is doomed to failure I'm sure.