Samsung Music Hub launches on Galaxy S III stateside with free trial in tow

Samsung's come a long way from the days of its first Galaxy S device. Relying back then, out of necessity, on third parties like 7Digital and Kobo to provide a white label content platform. Time, fortune and the popularity of its Android devices has changed the company's tack and with the unveiling of the Galaxy S III, it's heading for a streamlined user experience that integrates hardware with in-house software. Although Music Hub has already launched overseas in several European countries as part and parcel of its latest flagship, that service is now finally ready for primetime in the US.

Built upon the mSpot tech it acquired this past May, the company's freemium service combines the best of both worlds, offering non-paying users access to a digital storefront loaded up with millions of tracks from all four major labels (and some indies, too), a web-based player, as well as the ability to store purchased music remotely and offline for "registered devices." Whereas, the subscription version builds upon those gratis goods by adding personalized radio stations, free streaming and an iTunes-like "Scan & Match" feature to the mix for $10 monthly.

Ever cognizant of the already crowded digital music platforms provided by rivals, Samsung's tricking out this stateside debut with some goodies for the curious: a 30-day trial and one free album of their choosing. It's a nice incentive, for sure, but with so many already entrenched in the musical realms of rivals -- iTunes, Google Play and Spotify, for starters -- adoption of this new ecosystem's going to be a hard sell indeed. Click on past the break for the lowdown on this me-too, mobile music offering.

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Samsung Mobile Launches Music Hub in U.S. on the Galaxy S III with a
Free 30-Day Trial

3-in-1 mobile music solution lets you upload your music collection to the cloud, stream and purchase songs from an extensive catalog, and listen to personal radio


DALLAS (July 31, 2012) - Samsung Music Hub – the first completely integrated, all-in-one mobile music service – is now available in the U.S. on the Galaxy S® III. Music Hub simplifies and enhances the everyday experience of listening to music. The mobile music service provides a rich music experience for everyone whether users are an avid collectors wanting easy access to their own music collection, someone with ever-changing music tastes, who likes to sample a broad selection of music and genres or individuals who prefer radio.

A free 30-day trial of the service will be extended to new Music Hub users in the U.S. New subscribers also will be able to choose a free album that will be instantly available on their Galaxy S III and can also be uploaded to their personal music collections on the internet.

"We're redefining mobile music by offering a more integrated experience on the handset and lifting the barriers to your music. Our service encompasses all music including your own collection in the cloud, a robust streaming catalog that is seamlessly integrated with a music store, and a personal radio service that caters to all of your music moods and genres," said TJ Kang, senior vice president of the media services team for Samsung. "By providing a free album and trial, we hope Galaxy S III owners will experience for themselves a new, intuitive and easy way to discover music."

Based on the technology services of mSpot, a leading mobile content service provider recently acquired by Samsung, the new Music Hub service will initially be available on Samsung Galaxy S III devices sold through leading U.S. carriers. Galaxy S III users can access the application directly on select handsets and via the Samsung App Store or Google Play. More information on accessing Music Hub on select handsets can be found at: http://www.samsung.com/us/article/music-hub-all-the-music-you-want-all-in-one-place. This pairing with the Galaxy S III is ideal as the overall Music Hub experience has been optimized and specifically designed for mobile devices. Advanced streaming and downloading options let users save storage space, play music when offline, and cut down on mobile data usage. Audio settings are designed to prolong battery life and ensure smooth streaming even under spotty network coverage.

The Music Hub service will be offered as both a free and premium version.

Music Hub Store (free) allows users to:
Access millions of songs from the 7digital catalog – which includes music from all four major labels (Sony, EMI, Universal, and Warner), plus select independents– from which users can buy tracks and albums, as well as listen to 30-second previews of all songs
Store purchased music in the cloud, allowing it to automatically load on all registered Music Hub devices, while still being available on those registered devices locally for offline listening.
Use the Music Hub web player, in addition to the mobile app, with which users can access their music library and the Music Hub catalog/store online at www.musichub.com.

Music Hub Premium ($9.99 per month, with a free 30-day trial offered) offers access to all of the free version features, as well as:
A Scan & Match Cloud Locker: Upload music to the cloud to play it on any device registered with a Music Hub account. Music Hub also utilizes scan-and-match technology to decrease upload time and ensure high-quality playback. Any unmatched songs are directly uploaded from user's library to the cloud offering 100 GB of storage for all unmatched songs, so users can access rare or personal recordings across their devices. Music Hub also automatically updates playlists or music purchases music updated across all registered devices.
A catalog of millions of songs for purchase AND streaming: Enjoy full access to 7digital's entire Music Hub catalog, including music from all four major labels, to stream or purchase, with unlimited plays and no advertisements. Search for new music, create playlists, share songs with friends, and view lyrics and album information.
Personalized and Custom Radio: Create personal stations based on favorite songs and artists, or browse genre stations recommended and custom-created by the Music Hub team. Users also can tag songs they like to find and play back later.
Customized Recommendations: Discover great new songs, artists, albums and radio stations all the time – and the more users listen, the better Music Hub's recommendations will get.

Samsung, Music Hub, Galaxy and Galaxy S are all trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.