http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2011/01/06/06readwriteweb-ces-2011-realnetworks-step-past-apple-goog91313.html
Looks like RealNetworks is going to beat Apple and Google to the punch by offering cloud-based music sometime in the early part of this year. This service will allow users to purchase their music and keep it stored in the cloud so that they can access their music from anywhere--mobile phones, PCs, tablets, etc.
People have been waiting for Apple or Google to offer this service and there have been lots of rumors that Apple was going to announce a cloud-based music service last year especially after the purchase of LaLa, a company that provided services to users by taking the music on their PCs and putting it on the cloud so that they could access their music from anywhere.
We'll see if Apple and/or Google can finally deliver this service sometime this year. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple finally was able to deliver such a service, but it will be another round of tough negotiations with the music labels before this becomes a reality.
I think this would be great to try out. The only drawback will be if you get stuck underground on the Red Line and have no access to your music.
ReplyDeleteHmmm... good find DK, and good call Joel.
ReplyDeleteThe way I see it, music on the cloud would solve the problem of always having to tether to your PC to download music onto your portable device. Devices should still retain the ability download and store songs (since they do that now, with zero negative effect on the device's portability) -- so you'd just download songs off the cloud instead of off your tether connection to your PC. So if you're on the T and you lose connectivity to stream music off the cloud, you could just flip to your stored downloads and sail into class with a song in your heart. ;)