mSpot stores your music* in the cloud, makes it available anywhere**
Whoa there, vaquero -- don't get too excited just yet. As with just about every other gratis backup service on the web, there's a catch you should know about with mSpot's latest endeavor. The free limit is right around 2GB (exact size is TBD), so if you've got more than a second generation iPod's worth of audio, this here service will only serve as a tease. For those who fall under that threshold, there's plenty to love, and if you're down for ponying up, you'll be able to secure 10GB for $2.99 per month or 20GB for $4.99 per month. Launched today at Google I/O, this "freemium" music cloud service essentially syncs your entire music library (either in iTunes or a user-designated arrangement of folders) with mSpot's servers -- provided your library is less than 20GB, of course -- and then makes it available anywhere. Phones and other computers should have no issue tapping in (though only Android will be supported out of the gate), and the app itself runs quietly in the background in order to check for new additions / subtractions and mirror said changes in your online library. For now, the service is available by invitation only through mspot.com, with public availability slated for next month. Size limits aside, the service worked well for us in our limited testing, though that first 20GB upload is a real pain over Time Warner Cable's obviously capped Road Runner internet. Oh, and if you're bummed about not being guaranteed an invite today, you shouldn't be. Hit that source link and enter "engadget" as the password -- the first 500 get immediate access, but once they're gone, they're gone.
*20GB tops, buster!
**Only on Android, Macs and PCs at first, chief!
Show full PR text
mSpot – New Music Cloud Service Connects You with Your Music, Anytime, via SmartPhone and Web
Invitation-Only, Private Beta Offered at Google IO Conference
Google IO Conference, San Francisco and Palo Alto (May 19, 2010)-Popular mobile entertainment provider mSpot, Inc., today debuts mSpot®, a free music cloud service that offers instant access to your entire music collection synced across smartphones* and PCs/Macs. The service enables you to quickly upload your music into the mSpot Cloud, where you can start listening to it from popular desktop browsers and cell phones immediately.
The service includes a smart application that operates in the background of your computer managing the upload and day-to-day syncing of your music library. In addition, it can upload playlists, coverart, ratings and song information you may have entered using iTunes or Windows Media Player. The application manages your music for you, making automatic updates whenever changes occur in your library, and across different connected devices.
Access to the private beta is available by invitation only at www.mspot.com. Public availability of the service will begin in June, 2010.
"We recognize that portability is key to a compelling music experience for consumers, and the biggest challenge for music cloud services to tackle today. mSpot has spent the past five years perfecting its proprietary over-the-air delivery technology so music plays from the cloud so fast it feels local - even when cell coverage is spotty or non-existent," said mSpot CEO Daren Tsui.
mSpot provides a rich, "connected" experience that enables you to see related content matched to the song that's being played, including song lyrics, artist bios and discography - all because you are connected to the mSpot Cloud. mSpot enables you to take your music wherever you go, automatically syncing with different devices in such a seamless way that it feels like your music is following you: simple, fast and easy.
*The service will initially be offered on the latest Android phones.
The launch of the mSpot® music service comes on the heels of its Mobile Movies service, which is available via the mobile web on all four major U.S. carriers and across 50 different handset devices, including the iPhone, Blackberry, Palm, Windows Mobile and many high-end feature phones. mSpot Movies is available on the Web and mobile at mspotmovies.com.
