Introducing Jukebox: a cross-platform music streaming service

Have y'all ever felt similar adding your music to the cloud and existence able to stream it anywhere, on multiple platforms? To mind to your own music library wirelessly? There are a number of options available, iTunes Lucifer probably being the most probable recommendation, but they're restricted in some fashion or another. Cue the introduction of Jukebox (www.get-jukebox.com).

Jukebox is a new service (information technology's still in preview stage), by a new starting time-upward (on the Microsoft BizSpark programme) consisting of only 4 members, which will enable users to upload music and stream it to other devices from the cloud. It takes a lot of space to store a ten,000 song+ music drove, and the bulk of time is spent listening to particular songs or playlists. This is where Jukebox magic plays its office.

Once an account is created with Jukebox, a user is granted with a 1,000 song allowance, for admittedly nix at all. That ways you lot can use Jukebox for free, forever. Advertisements? No way. Information technology's all funded by those who wish to opt-in for more storage, or by purchasing music they find by browsing through the upcoming store and through recommendations.

In a way information technology'southward very much like Zune, or at present Xbox Music, where on Windows Phone or Windows, one will use a client to stream a collection of music to that item device with the choice of saving it locally. The just difference is that information technology's music you actually own, every bit opposed to information technology beingness restricted by licensing with other services where information technology will be unavailable should a subscription be halted.

The Jukebox Windows application

Streaming

So nosotros've spoke about streaming. How does information technology work? Later on an business relationship is created, the user can login via the Windows (or soon-to-be Mac) client and start adding music and / or playlists to Jukebox. The client can import music from smart folders – any changes or alterations made to these item folders will be reflected in the music collection that'due south listed in Jukebox. Only add a folder or two and allow the app to the rest of the work.

One time music has begun uploading to the deject, which is powered by Microsoft Azure (then you know it'southward a good service), popping into the app on a Windows Phone or Android handset (iPhone app on the way) will enable one to offset streaming music that has been successfully uploaded. Call up of information technology as your own dwelling server continued to the Net.

Don't be put off by the ane,000 vocal limit, there are plans for this to be increased, and there's always the referral program. For each referral made, both the referrer and newly registered user will receive a limit increase of 100 songs. This is stackable and so exist sure to get inviting.

So what platforms are supported? Equally mentioned previously: Windows, Windows Phone, Android, the web, and presently both iPhone and Mac. The team aims to become a universal service that'south available on multiple platforms to make information technology as convenient as possible for the user base.

Music Store

While not currently available, a store is in the works. Instead of relying on a subscription-based business model (excluding extra storage of course) Jukebox volition offer users the power to buy songs through a third-party music platform.

But what'south different most using Jukebox to purchase media? Making use of the shop platform, Jukebox will be able to provide users with not merely a thirty seconds preview of an individual track, simply it will allow the user to play the song three full times earlier locking that it to just xxx – 90 seconds. This makes information technology easier for someone to brand the decision whether they similar the song or not.

Jukebox is not merely about enjoying music and streaming it on multiple platforms, only it's also virtually discovering new music and getting social with friends and others who share like tastes.

Windows Phone App

A Jukebox Windows Telephone app is already available on the Store, though many may exist turned off by first impressions when booting it upwards – the UI isn't fully Metro influenced. Nosotros've been told past the team that this is set to change and improvements are in the pipeline that will enable the app to take full advantage of the Metro (yes we're still using the word) UI.

Background playback is supported, and it'll pull down content stored on the cloud too equally what's stored locally on the phone. While the UI being something left to be desired, there are some problems when browsing the app and going through the collection of music. We found that frequent crashes occurred when attempting to whorl through a drove of 400+ tracks. We're told any bugs will exist looked into and fixes released in subsequent updates.

The Future

We've been informed that a Windows eight app is on the way, and is expected to be available by the end of the year. We expect the current Windows client to remain updated for Windows 7 and previous versions of Microsoft's desktop Os. Speaking of which, an update is said to exist on the way that volition enable multi-file uploading to brand the process of storing music in the cloud faster. The Android app will also see a new release to implement mobile uploading of music.

Equally wel las frequent updates, to increment the song limit the team will be looking to implement a subscription service to pay for the extra storage that will be required past users. This has still to exist internally decided, but we were given a rough estimation – 10,000 songs for €2 /month or €24 /year. That'south not a bad price for a service that will be available on multiple platforms.

Wrapping up on future features, Jukebox will sport social integration and functionality. In the Windows customer, the right sidebar currently sports dummy updates, which volition be replaced with live notifications and alerts. The team plans to create a community using Facebook, Twitter, Final.fm and more than to focus on relevant data which can be provided to consumers. Instead of having to visit an individual service, Jukebox will offer functionality from each social platform.

Jukebox is a neat idea, and has the potential to become a serious contender with planned features, but in that location's a long way to go. Be sure to try out the app on both Windows and Windows Telephone, play around with it and leave feedback to the team so improvements can be practical. Remember that it's however in the early on stage of deployment then bugs may exist present. We're told an update for Windows Phone is on the fashion and should exist released before long.

Y'all tin can download Jukebox from the Windows Phone Store for gratuitous.

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/introducing-jukebox-cross-platform-music-streaming-service

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