Best Buy Music Cloud plagued by negative reviews

Best Buy introduced its Music Cloud digital streaming service, heralding the big-box retailer's attempt to keep pace with Apple, (NASDAQ:AAPL), Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Amazon.com in the fast-evolving cloud media segment.

Like its rivals, Best Buy Music Cloud (powered by Catch Media's Play Anywhere platform) enables consumers to upload and store their digital music files and playlists on cloud servers for anytime/anywhere access across connected devices including iOS, Android and BlackBerry smartphones. Best Buy will offer both a free Lite version, enabling listeners to check out the first 30 seconds of each song, and a premium version priced at $3.99 per month, offering full-track streaming. Additional details on the initiative are scarce.

Critics lined up to take their shots at Best Buy Music Cloud, with most of the venom directed at the 30-second-sample restriction as well as underlying technical issues. "Don't even bother trying this out until Best Buy reworks it," says PCMag.com. Time calls the solution "an impenetrable mess," stating "Like a blind oaf, Best Buy has stumbled into the cloud music arena. What Best Buy hasn't done is given you any clear reasons to pay attention to this service in the first place." PCWorld is more charitable, noting "Maybe Best Buy Music Cloud will make more sense once Best Buy removes the veil and launches a PR campaign."

Best Buy Music Cloud follows in the wake of Apple introducing its long-awaited iCloud digital media storage platform, which automatically syncs content on Apple servers for access across iOS devices, as well as Macs and PCs. Each day, iCloud backs up all of the user's iOS devices over Wi-Fi, storing content including purchased music, apps and books, as well as photos, videos, device settings and app data. The corresponding iTunes in the Cloud enables consumers to download previously purchased iTunes music to all iOS devices at no additional cost--new music purchases can be downloaded automatically to all devices as well.

The iCloud launch comes on the heels of rival cloud music services introduced earlier this year by Amazon.com and Google. Unlike iCloud, neither effort launched with major label licensing deals in place, meaning consumers must spend hours or even days uploading their digital libraries directly to each company's respective servers. The music industry is counting on iCloud quickly eclipsing Amazon and Google, effectively forcing both to consent to the labels' licensing terms.

For more:
- read this PCMag.com article

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