Amazon Cloud Player

The Sparrow

Don't see this discussed anywhere but some ppl are calling it Android's Killer App:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20110329/tc_mashable/amazon_cloud_player_first_impressions

For the last 30 minutes, I've been testing out Cloud Player. While it's impossible to get the full experience in half an hour (mostly because Amazon estimates it will be another 12 hours before my first 1,262 songs are uploaded), I've had enough time to play with it to write a preliminary evaluation of Amazon's new streaming music service.

Here are some of my initial thoughts about Amazon Cloud Player and its companion Android app:

* Uploading: When you first install Cloud Drive on your computer, it searches your entire hard drive for your music and your playlists. While this takes a while (10 minutes), once the process is complete, it makes uploading songs a snap. It pulled my iTunes playlists and let me choose which ones I wanted to upload, a very welcomed feature.
* Usability: The web-based cloud player is really intuitive. The layout makes it easy to select songs, search your music archives and organize your music. The player itself is quick to load, responsive, and even lets you skip around to different points in your music, something not possible with most of the streaming music players on the market today.

* Music Quality: While I'm no audiophile, I really can't tell any difference between Cloud Player and a streaming service like Pandora. Playing music from your hard drive is going to give you a better acoustic experience, but the vast majority of consumers won't be able to tell the difference.
* Features: Cloud Player doesn't have a lot of frills, but you will be able to do almost everything you want within it. It doesn't have iTunes' ability to automatically download podcasts or Genius recommendation feature, but they're not necessary features for a great music experience.
* Android: I also took Amazon's Cloud Player app for spin on a Motorola Atrix 4G phone. After signing in with my Amazon account, it quickly found my uploaded music and played it flawlessly. Again, I was able to skip around to different points in my music, create playlists and search my Cloud Drive for uploaded music. The player even lets you access your on-device music, essentially rendering Google's official Music player useless.
* Price: You start with 5 GB of free storage, but for the vast majority of people, that won't be enough. Without a second thought, I upgraded to 20 GB for $20/year, though in retrospect I should've bought a cheap album instead. The pricing plan is very simple: 1 GB per dollar. I paid more for Pandora One ($36)than I did for 20 GB of Cloud Player storage, so overall I'd say Amazon's giving everybody a good deal.

Even from my short test, it became apparent that Amazon wasn't launching some half-baked product; Cloud Player is a fully-functional, very usable streaming music player that could even make iTunes obsolete for many people, and its ability to play on-device and cloud-based music could quickly make it Android's killer app.

Amazon has thrown down the gauntlet and set a high bar for cloud-based music streaming. Apple and Google, which are expected to launch their own cloud players sometime this year, will have to match Amazon on usability and price if they're going to compete.

Amazon can't rest on its laurels though; Apple will surely harness its control of iPhone, iTunes and iOS to boost its own offering and give the shopping giant a run for its money.

nedd

You can upload stuff to the cloud from your browser but the Android app is not available in Ireland. I just tried it myself.

The 5gbs of storage is good though

Royale with Cheese

Google will be offering something similar before long. I'd imagine that'd work well with Android.

LoGiE

Sounds like audio galaxy if it came with a cap of 5GB.

Professey Chin

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

Google will be offering something similar before long. I'd imagine that'd work well with Android.

Its already in place with the latest Gingerbread build and the leaked music player afaik

C-Shore

Ultimate Chin wrote: »

Its already in place with the latest Gingerbread build and the leaked music player afaik

Yeah is that the honeycomb music player or just a leaked version of something else? It activates a cloud sync for the music on the phone which seems to be already built into the GB build, but the GB music player doesn't make use of it..

That music player for me was mad buggy so defeated the purpose really.. but that was on CM7 so maybe it works on aosp GB better?

But anyway, isn't the Amazon application just what Subsonic does already? And probably a whole load of other applications?

Saadyst

The biggest barrier to this for me is simply put, connection speed and caps. What use is 5GB of music if I can only listen to 500-600mb of it after other internet use is factored in

Great idea for the future tho.

Chardee MacDennis

Saadyst wrote: »

The biggest barrier to this for me is simply put, connection speed and caps. What use is 5GB of music if I can only listen to 500-600mb of it after other internet use is factored in

Great idea for the future tho.

move to three, unlimited data

Ste-

BastardPrince wrote: »

move to three, unlimited data

I'd be careful with that "unlimited".

Chardee MacDennis

Ste- wrote: »

I'd be careful with that "unlimited".

why? it is unlimited...

Ste-

BastardPrince wrote: »

why? it is unlimited...

What plan is that ?

Chardee MacDennis

Ste- wrote: »

What plan is that ?

http://www.three.ie/products_services/priceplans/billpay/all_you_can_eat_data.html

Ste-

BastardPrince wrote: »

http://www.three.ie/products_services/priceplans/billpay/all_you_can_eat_data.html

Fair use of 15GB per billing period isn't unlimited.
Check the TV or radio ads for this product.

here or here for more information.

Royale with Cheese

I have 10gb a month from meteor for €15. Currently using about 1.5gb a month, no way I'd even come close to using up the rest with streaming music.

Chardee MacDennis

Ste- wrote: »

Fair use of 15GB per billing period isn't unlimited.
Check the TV or radio ads for this product.

here or here for more information.

you're wrong, it is unlimited. after 15gb it is throttled.

it even says so in the thread you linked :rolleyes:

Ste-

BastardPrince wrote: »

you're wrong, it is unlimited. after 15gb it is throttled.

it even says so in the thread you linked :rolleyes:

Throttling internet to me doesn't seem like an unlimited plan.
Each to their own I guess.

Either ways better than my 50MB a day.


Back on topic, I don't think this will be big as their are apps that do this already.
And I think if google do launch their own it will be integrated nicely.

Chardee MacDennis

Ste- wrote: »

Throttling internet to me doesn't seem like an unlimited plan.
Each to their own I guess.

Either ways better than my 50MB a day.


Back on topic, I don't think this will be big as their are apps that do this already.
And I think if google do launch their own it will be integrated nicely.

protip: easy way to figure out if something is unlimited:
ask yourself, does the service STOP when i reach certain amount? If ans is no then service is unlimited!

now if they cut you off after a limit then i would understand your point...

BionicRasher

BastardPrince wrote: »

protip: easy way to figure out if something is unlimited:
ask yourself, does the service STOP when i reach certain amount? If ans is no then service is unlimited!

now if they cut you off after a limit then i would understand your point...

Unlimited = not limited; unrestricted; unconfined

If they throttle back the service after 15GB then that would mean it is limited, it is restricted and it is confined.
They could even limit you to next to nothing speeds thus more or less cutting off your download limit

"Should your data usage exceed 15GB in a billing cycle and your usage affect other network users, we reserve the right to limit your Service."

Just need to be careful what you sign up for and always read the T&C. However the plan looks good and I am sure they wont cap you at 15GB

nedd

Don't you just love it when a thread is hijacked by an argument no one cares about?

With the Google Cloud service, how much space does it offer?

This is a nice feature for the future, would be nice to have your music collection plus all other media in the cloud. But currently it would take way to long to upload all my content.

BionicRasher

nedd wrote: »

Don't you just love it when a thread is hijacked by an argument no one cares about?

With the Google Cloud service, how much space does it offer?

This is a nice feature for the future, would be nice to have your music collection plus all other media in the cloud. But currently it would take way to long to upload all my content.

Yes indeed - back on track again

Google
20 GB ($5.00 USD per year)
80 GB ($20.00 USD per year)
200 GB ($50.00 USD per year)
400 GB ($100.00 USD per year)
1 TB ($256.00 USD per year)

Great prices and its very straight forward - there is a new sync tool that I am going to try tonight and see how it goes - looks easy and is way cheaper than anything else I have seen
https://www.google.com/enterprise/marketplace/viewListing?productListingId=7546+16949744728391811088&pli=1

nedd

So the google service is basically the storage offered by Google Doc's but with the addition of streaming music?

BionicRasher

nedd wrote: »

So the google service is basically the storage offered by Google Doc's but with the addition of streaming music?

yes looks like it
25 US cent a Gig isn't bad either

Chardee MacDennis

tui0hcg wrote: »

Unlimited = not limited; unrestricted; unconfined

If they throttle back the service after 15GB then that would mean it is limited, it is restricted and it is confined.
They could even limit you to next to nothing speeds thus more or less cutting off your download limit

"Should your data usage exceed 15GB in a billing cycle and your usage affect other network users, we reserve the right to limit your Service."

Just need to be careful what you sign up for and always read the T&C. However the plan looks good and I am sure they wont cap you at 15GB

restricted != limited

nedd wrote: »

Don't you just love it when a thread is hijacked by an argument no one cares about?

well firstly it seems at least 3 people care about it! secondly if they would just accept i am right , we could move on

Chardee MacDennis

Anyone figure out a way to sign up to this without an American cc?

woop

with us not even being able to sort out the likes of lovefilm and spotify due to rights issues here. I think it will be a while before this is here sadly, looks like the labels aint too happy

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/30/amazon-negotiating-for-cloud-player-music-licensing-deals-after/

I have to say I admire the shotgun approach to this rather than allowing it get stuck in a quagmire of bureacracy. They just put it out there lol