Coming on the heels of news that music services Lala and iLike will link up with Google search, and Lala’s appearance in the Facebook gift shop, is even more Lala-related newsery. Lala coming soon to an app store near you.
That’s right; the long awaited Lala iPhone app is expected drop before the end of the year, pending Apple approval. The free program is being touted by Lala co-founder Bill Nguyen as hailing the end of downloading music in MP3 format.
Here’s how Lala’s app will work. Like the site, users will be able to purchase music for 10 cents a track and stream them online whenever they choose. Also available will be downloadable tracks for 89 cents a pop. This is where the app gets interesting and separates itself from the likes of Pandora or Yahoo Music’s streaming services.
Lala’s application will sync with your existing music library and automatically any track you own to your Lala library free of charge. That means your entire digital music collection can be in your pocket at any time.
If you’re like me and concerned about needing to be connected to the internet all the time to stream these songs, there’s an answer for that too. Lala told Wired that the service will “cache the last few hundred songs you’ve listened to” on your device or keep your favorites loaded, ensuring playback without connectivity.
Those interested in purchasing a track will be able to stream the entire song once for free. Lala’s offerings will be much lower quality than MP3’s, making them easier to stream.
Don’t own an iPhone? Never fear, Lala is working on similar applications for the Android, Palm Pre and Blackberry devices as well, according to Gizmodo.
Our Take:
Okay, first off, this is a smooth move on Lala’s part, as their 10 cent pricing strategy will allow music shoppers (who acquire their music legally) to buy more tracks on a budget. That’s always a good thing. Also, unlike a Pandora, there won’t be any unwanted ads on the application, a major plus for some. Oh yeah, and it being a free app won’t hurt either.
However, I have an issue with the idea that this will “kill downloading MP3’s.” Am I the only person who still likes a physical copy of the disc in their hands? Sure, I’ll upload it to my iPhone (but in the higher quality MP3 format, I hate Apple’s low-fi default), but if I can slap in a CD instead I usually will. I also seem to be in the minority of people who don’t need their ENTIRE music collection on hand at a moment’s notice though I certainly understand the opposing viewpoint.
An Associated Press article about this new app has described the quality as “about the same as some smaller radio stations stream online.” This new age of music is all about portability, but I’m about done sacrificing my sound quality.
Am I being a cranky 24-year old audiophile? How do you feel about the digital music transition? Are you going to download the app when it comes out? Let us know!
