On-demand subscription music service MOG has just launched its official mobile app for the iPhone, iPod touch and Android devices. MOG originally unveiled its mobile app at SXSW earlier this year, but it’s just now becoming available.
While the Android version isn’t showing up in the Android Market at this time, the iPhone and iPod touch variant [iTunes link] is available in the App Store now.
MOG launched in December, offering users on-demand listening to its library of more than 7 million tracks for just $5 per month. Mobile subscriptions are $10 per month and include unlimited desktop and mobile usage.
In addition to streaming playlists, albums and radio stations, users can also download tracks for offline listening, either in 64 kpbs or 320 kpbs quality. That’s a nice feature that brings MOG in-line with similar offerings from Rhapsody, which also has its own mobile apps.
MOG for iPhone
We had a chance to play with the MOG iPhone app earlier this morning and were pretty impressed with the features. Controls are easy to use and the app is easy to navigate. Searching for and downloading albums, tracks or playlists was a breeze and audio quality was good.
However, right now, the biggest problem with MOG (at least the iPhone version) is that while it supports iOS 4, it does not have multitasking built-in and it doesn’t support the iOS 4 playback widget.
Pandora and Rdio for iPhone already supports both of these features. Multitasking in particular is something we really want to see in the next release.
Having said that, we do like being able to download tracks for offline listening. The app is off to a good start. Check out this video for more details:
Streaming Subscription Space Is Getting Crowded
A year ago, the big name in the streaming music subscription space was Spotify, and indeed, the European service redefined a market that that was in a major slump.
However, as American consumers continue to wait for Spotify’s U.S. expansion, other services have stepped in to fill the void. In addition to MOG, Rdio, which is still in private beta for U.S. users is also gaining lots of steam. Hailing from the founders of Skype, Rdio already has an iPhone app, which Mashable’s Jenn Van Grove detailed and reviewed last week.
Industry veterans like Rhapsody are also in the mobile space with both Android and iPhone apps. And this is even before discussing existing streaming music services like Slacker Radio and Pandora.
What separates services like Rdio, Spotify and MOG from the competition, however, is that they allow both on-demand listening of certain albums and tracks and streaming playlists. The services can also be costly. In the U.S., both MOG and Rdio cost $10 per month for a mobile and desktop streaming plan. $10 a month isn’t bad for all-you-can-listen music, but it doesn’t fit into every user’s budget.
Are you using any streaming music subscription services? What do you think of MOG Mobile?
More About: Android apps, iphone apps, MOG, music, music subscription services, rdio, spotify, streaming music
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