For everyone who cares about music, it’s the burning question -- when will iTunes finally move into the cloud? While we wait to see if that’ll ever happen, several competitors are diving into iTunes’ gaping void by providing services that let you both stream music and sync it to your iDevices. In fact, these subscription-based, on-demand music services are the latest evolution in digital music. And while they bring their own strengths and weaknesses, they’re still more alike than different. Each service lets you stream music to your Mac or iOS device, buy tracks, sync tracks to an iOS device for offline playback, and create playlists or enjoy custom radio stations. This means success comes down to execution. A streaming service demands a greater investment of time for users than a simple download store, so it better be a nice place to visit -- and have exactly what you want to hear.
Of the three services, Rdio’s website feels the most uncluttered and app-like, but you’ll quickly ditch it for the Rdio OS X desktop application. It offers all the site’s features, from playback to account management, in an iTunes-lite interface complete with sleek mini-player mode. Sadly, Rdio’s Mac application lacks AirPlay support, but it can scan your iTunes library to fill your online collection with matches so you don’t have to hunt for favorites from scratch. It’s a great feature every streaming service should have. Spotlight-like searches are handy, but we wish we could sort the results. Still, browsing new releases, top songs, and recommendations is a click away. And since your playlist and listening history appear in a dismissible pane over the main window, it’s easy to play tracks while you surf Rdio’s catalog or follow famous tastemakers to find new music. Speaking of which, Rdio’s library had more gaps than other services -- thanks, music industry lawyers -- but we still found plenty of music to enjoy.
Rdio’s desktop app rocks. We just wish it had more music.
Rdio’s iOS app lets you take your collection, playlists, and other features with you in a streamlined interface that’s easy to use -- although we had our share of crashes. We appreciated having most of our iTunes library available from the cloud, but we’d be even happier if we could search it like we can in the desktop app.
While Rdio’s various incarnations are clean, MOG’s web-based interface takes a more-is-more approach. What MOG’s site lacks in simplicity, it makes up for with a catalog of 10 million tracks, powerful search tools, and flexible playback controls. Be prepared to browse, though: each text-heavy page overflows with links to new releases, playlists of other users you can follow, editors’ choices, musician bios and photos, and much more. MOG’s kitchen-sink approach is more than skin-deep, but it feels a little chaotic; some links for purchasing tracks take you to iTunes, while others launch the Amazon MP3 Store. At least when it’s time to find your favorite artists, FastSearch delivers. A drop-down menu displays live search results as collapsible lists of albums and tracks you can start playing immediately (still, we wish search results were sortable). The floating playback window lets you search for more music, share tracks on social networks, and easily skip among upcoming tracks. A slider lets you control how many of those tracks will come from the currently playing band, or others like it, letting you create Pandora-like radio on the fly.
MOG’s website may not look like much, but it’s got it where it counts.
MOG’s iOS app brings the site (including its cool artist slider) to your iDevice, letting you shout out your favorite songs on Twitter and Facebook while syncing tracks for local playback at two quality settings -- handy for downloading over 3G. We also like the persistent playback controls, and editing its list of upcoming tracks is a snap.
As the veteran of the bunch, you’d expect Rhapsody to have this streaming music thing down to a science by now. With 10 million tracks, odds are good Rhapsody has the music you want. But if you don’t already know what you’re looking for, the site’s chilly design works against you. While it’s easy enough to navigate, the empty spaces, small artist photos, and unsortable song lists don’t invite browsing and exploration. Album recommendations, an editor’s blog, and other users’ playlists warm things up, but not enough to make Rhapsody a destination you’d want to hang out in.
Rhapsody has the music, but not the melody.
The site does deliver the basics, though, letting you share song picks on social networks and create playlists of your own. Playback is handled in a floating window that lets you view upcoming tracks and search for new ones, but it kicks you to the site’s main page to view search results and choose new tracks to add to your current lineup. Radio stations (preset according to artist, genre, and decade) let you go with the flow, but since you’re shown only the current and upcoming track, you can’t jump ahead to a favorite song like you can with MOG.
Happily, Rhapsody’s iOS app feels more cohesive and user-friendly than the site. It displays artist information and reviews along with your playlists, listening history, radio stations, and more. If you like a particular track or album, you can buy it from iTunes with a tap.
The bottom line. MOG is your best bet for a social experience and the largest catalog. For simplicity and the convenience of a dedicated music app, you can’t beat Rdio.
Rhapsody
Rhapsody International
rhapsody.com
Price: $9.99/month for web access and 1 iOS device; $14.99/month for web access and 3 iOS devices
Requirements: Internet connection; Rhapsody for iOS requires iOS 3.1 or later.
Pros: Extensive catalog. Good iOS client app.
Cons: Chilly, unexciting website. Lame radio feature. Free trial requires a credit card.
Rdio
Rdio
rdio.com
Price: $4.99/month for web-only access; $9.99/month for web and iOS app access
Requirements: Internet connection; Firefox 3.5 or later, Safari, or Chrome. Rdio for OS X requires Mac OS 10.5 or later. Rdio for iOS requires iOS 3.1.2 or later.
Pros: Great OS X app. Syncs your iTunes library to online collection. No credit card required for free trial.
Cons: Many missing and preview-only tracks due to rights issues.
MOG
MOG
mog.com
Price: $4.99/month for web-only access; $9.99/month for web and iOS app access
Requirements: Internet connection; Safari 3 or later; Firefox 3 or later. MOG for iOS requires iOS 3.1.2 or later.
Pros: Handy radio feature controls artist playback on the fly. Powerful search feature saves you clicks. Extensive catalog.
Cons: Cluttered website. Free trial requires a credit card.
