The site has since spanned to operate as a digital retailer with a twist. Allow profiled users to listen to EVERY song EVER (in the spans of its catalogue, obviously) once, and then allowing users to purchase web versions of the song to stream within their Lala.com profile, or purchasing a downloadable version of the song. These features, combined with users ability to upload their music library and listen countlessly to those songs as well create a nice appeal to the site, as it should.

combative to iTunes, Lala.com Users can upload and listen to their music library ANYWHERE with internet, and with a mobile application in the works, Lala.com would be within hands reach at ALL TIMES. iPods are great but they don’t have a feature to view related artists, check out their bios, see pictures and discover tangental artists without having to access iTunes, and if you’re going to take that step, why not visit Lala.com and hear songs in their entirety?

If that wasn’t encouraging for people to sign up, Lala.com gives you 25 credits for signing up and 5 credits for referrals. That is, 25 songs that you DON’T have to purchase, but instead get to reap the web streaming rewards of unlimited listening.

This is all great for the music listener and mobile enthusiast, however, there’s one draw back.

A BIG DRAW BACK.

There is no security. All that’s required is an active email address. That’s it.

So to prove a point, I have created 5 profiles, each having pseudonyms that may OR MAY NOT be that of my siblings, and have listened to THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (yes, I am now that kid!) FOR FREE BECAUSE OF MY CREDITS I RECEIVED BY REFERRING MYSELF! (ALL CAPS)

herewithstanding, i will be withdrawing from the left-hanging key from the “a”, i will bargain with those users to refrain from excessive profile creation, and give lala.com a true try, if you haven’t already. it does house a unique network of artists and has exposed new ones to me daily.

though it is like a screen door catching solar winds, it does keep the flies out and lets you enjoy those sweet sweet sunrises. until a new adaptation is assembled, one that houses the interests of both publishers and retailers, lala.com has my card, and i have them on speed dial.

To fill the void new Los Angeles based company Panel has released a new app for the Ipod touch and Iphone along with a website. The company was founded by Los Angeles record producer Darius Fong to capitalize on the need for a place where one can find an unique and trusted music review. For $2.99 you get the app off the App store and every week a panelist (music writers, Dj’s, record producers, record store owners, and celebs) will give you two album picks. This is a god send for music fans who don’t want sift through the Internet and waste their time trying to find good music. With the app readers/listeners are able to stream both albums in their entirety while providing information about the album and panelist who reviewed it. There is a link that enables the reader/listener to buy the album digitally off of Itunes or Amazon’s Mp3 store. 

The first panelist is Jason Hughes, owner of Seattle record store Sonic Boom. Panel plans on having future  panelists such as Matt Bayles, former member of the band Minus the Bear and Justin Gage, who developed the music blog Aquarium Drunkard as well as his own show on satellite radio. Panel has given customers a new way to discover new music effortlessly. This new business model shows how in the digital realm music criticism can still be relevant. Embracing a mobile app and having first mover advantage in the music review app market might allow Panel become as recognized in the digital realm for music criticism as companies such as Pitchfork. 

Here is the video from panelist Jason Hughes-

Jason Hughes (Sonic Boom Records) Interview from Darius Fong on Vimeo.

Recently within the last month Real Networks has released the Rhapsody App for the iphone and  ipod touch. The Rhapsody App is available for free as a   7 day trial download then it costs 14.99 a month plus taxes. Rhapsody’s streaming music service has been available on phones ever-since Verizon launched its V-CAST Media service. This service allows subscribers to stream and/or buy music through Rhapsody on V-cast ready phones. However Rhapsody’s entrance into the iphone platform gives users an easier interface that allows finding and streaming songs easier especially for veteran Iphone and Mac users. Comparing Verizon’s V-CAST to the app for iphone, I think Rhapsody’s App is cleaner and more user friendly but it can only stream music. If you want to buy any music through Rhapsody you cant  you have to use itunes. 

Even-though Apple doesn’t have a dominant percentage of smart-phone market-share it is on its way of doing so. This year Apple doubled its market-share worldwide and also topped 2 billion downloads through their App store as both iphones and ipod touch prices continued to get cheaper. For these reasons I believe that the Rhapsody app will be an extremely popular app for old Rhapsody users as well as people who don’t have enough time and money to fill up their iphones or ipod touches.  The only downside to this App is that its streaming bitrate is only 64 kilobits per second which is low quality but enough high enough for on the go listening. This figure will only go higher as infastructure improves.

So for aroud the price of a CD (14.99) per month users get access to about 8 million songs. Other streaming music/radio companies such like Grooveshark have similar applications but nowhere as many songs as Rhapsody. Rhapsody also will be at a head-start in gaining market-share in the US as its global competitor Spotify  has been unable to get into the US market but is gaining steam elsewhere in places like London. As major American cities get more and more connected streaming music services such as Rhapsody and Grooveshark will become more widely used. If one cannot walk down a city block without a song re-buffering every minute then technology infrastructure has a little catching up to before before it becomes widely accepted. I would recommend the Rhapsody App for iphone because you are able to listen to music on the go wherever you get 3g service. The ipod touch is a different story because you can only connect to wifi networks that are recognized so carefree streaming might be a problem if your constantly moving.

The recent explosion of streaming music Apps like Rhapsody and the influx of smart-phones like the iphone has further reinforced the notion that music is becoming more and more like a service rather than a product in this 21st century music industry.