Samsung Galaxy S3 Music Hub Fights iTunes and Spotify

Luke Westaway
CNET UK

"The new bit of software, humbly dubbed Samsung Music Hub, lets you stream unlimited tracks from Samsung's library of 19 million songs, so long as you splash out £10 per month for the premium version."

Samsung's new iTunes-fighting music app lets customers stream music, as well as matching music catalogues to Samsung's own library of 'choons.

The new bit of software, humbly dubbed Samsung Music Hub, lets you stream unlimited tracks from Samsung's library of 19 million songs, so long as you splash out £10 per month for the premium version.

Forking over a monthly tenner also lets you upload your own music to the service, just like iTunes Match. Tracks you own that are already in Samsung's library aren't uploaded -- Samsung just streams you its own copy instead. You can upload up to 100GB of unmatched music, which will likely be plenty, even for avid collectors.

If you opt for the free version you get a much more basic service -- listen to 30-second previews of songs, then buy them if you fancy.

A recommendation radio service is also on board, and you can access your tunes through a web browser at musichub.com. Handy.

Music Hub is more expensive than iTunes Match, which costs £22 per year. Apple's offering doesn't let you stream music you don't already own though, so if you want to listen to a broader array of tunes, Samsung's offering (or rival Spotify) might be better.

The app will only be available to Samsung Galaxy S3 owners for now. Don't fret if you own a different Samsung blower though, as it's indicated the app is destined for other mobiles, as well as Samsung tellies.

The Korean company's senior vice president TJ Kang told the Telegraph it hopes to craft an iOS version too, so iPhone, iPod touch and iPad owners can take advantage of the service. We'll see if Samsung's able to slip that one through Apple's tight approval process.

Would you use Samsung's music service? Tune up in the comments, or on our melodious Facebook wall.

May 29th, 2012
CNET UK