Thumbplay Music (Android)

RATING:
4 out of 5

PRICE:
Free trial ($9.99/mo. afterwards)

TASTY:
Goes beyond random Pandora or Last.fm music streams, giving you the ability to listen to and save specific songs, play lists, and albums for playback both on the go and at your home computer. The mammoth Thumbplay library is available to you whether you’re Net-connected or offline.

BUMMER:
$9.99 monthly subscription fee kicks in after 30-day trial period.

COOL:
Thumbplay Music is available to Blackberry, Android, and iPhone users; it’s the only music service that spans them all.

REVIEW:
There are many services offering a monthly subscription fee to tune into unlimited amounts of music. Thumbplay Music is a welcome addition to this crowded field, giving you the ability to save tunes for offline listening anywhere, any time. It’s a cloud-based music service that lets you take your songs with you wherever you go.

The audio quality is solid, and playback is smooth as silk. Searching for specific artists and albums was a breeze, and I couldn’t find any holes in their library based on my personal taste. (Your mileage may vary.) The service boasts 9 million tracks from all major labels, and 35,000 indie labels to boot, so unless you’re a musical freak of nature, you’re bound to find everything you’re looking for.

Gone are the days of tuning into an Internet music feed and getting cut off when your bike ride or run hits a dead zone. This app stores tracks as it goes, keeping you listening long after your bars drop to zero.

Use the Genie option to discover new tracks, set up favorites, and build an unlimited number of playlists. You can even import your playlists and favorite artists from iTunes. Best of all, the service auto-syncs everything between your phone and your desktop Mac or Windows machine.

The downside? Like any great music service, it’s addictive. My free trial lasts only 3 short days (almost done!) before the $9.99 per month subscription fee kicks in.

Bottom line: If you’re a music junkie who’s spending more than $10 a month on iTunes (who isn’t?), or you’re on the road more often than not, Thumbplay Music is more than worth the fee to stay connected to an amazing library of tunes.

Now please excuse me, my free trial is ticking down, and I have to milk it for all it’s worth before it’s gone. Peace out!