If you want a subscription streaming music service with a proper iPad app, MOG now gives you one more option to choose from.
There’s no shortage of companies vying for streaming music supremacy, including Spotify, Rhapsody, Rdio, Slacker Radio, Grooveshark and Sony’s Music Unlimited. But until now, only Rdio and Slacker have released iPad apps that take advantage of the larger screen.
(MORE: Why Labels Are Abandoning Streaming Music Services)
MOG’s iPad app is excellent, bearing a strong resemblance to the service’s web app for desktop browsers. A left-hand column lets users navigate their play queues, playlists, favorite artists, recommended tracks, editors’ picks and settings. Selections are listed on the right, with a handy “+” icon that hides a pop-up menu for listening options. Play controls appear persistently along the top of the screen.
As a subscriber to MOG’s $10 per month premium service, I appreciate the new app–especially as more popular services like Spotify let their mobile apps languish–even as I worry about MOG’s future.
Last week, Business Insider reported that MOG had been acquired by Beats Audio, whose majority owner is phone maker HTC. That report was backed up a day later by All Things Digital. A month ago, MOG denied that it was actively seeking a buyer, but the company has since gone silent on the matter. MOG’s blog has remained active, but surprisingly does not mention the new iPad app.
An acquisition by Beats Audio would make sense, given HTC’s interest in cloud services. HTC recently partnered with Dropbox to offer 5 GB of free online storage to phone owners, so one could imagine HTC giving its users some kind of discount on streaming music as well. That’s all fine with me as long as the service remains available on other devices–if the acquisition rumors are true. MOG’s apps would be a terrible thing to waste.