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Joystiq

Music Unlimited coming to PS3 and PSP by year's end

by Andrew Yoon on Sep 1st 2010 12:20PM

Looks like rumors do come true -- some sooner than others. Sony has announced a new program for a variety of its devices, including PS3 and PSP, called "Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity." According to the announcement, it is a new "cloud-based digital music service" to be available by year's end -- well, at least for Europe (where the announcement took place). With Music Unlimited, subscribers will be able to access "millions of songs." Further details will be announced in the future, but right now, Sony's service sounds strikingly similar to Microsoft's own Zune Pass.

In addition to PlayStation products, the service will be compatible with Bravia TVs, Blu-ray disc players, home theater systems, and VAIO computers "with one single account and without the need to manage digital files." Looks like Sony's come a long way from the ATRAC days!

Source: Press release
More coverage: PlayStation.Blog, Engadget

Tags: music, music-unlimited, pc, playstation, ps3, psp, qriocity, sony

Reader Comments (41)

I wonder if this will be anything like what Zune HD offers with the monthly Zune Pass subscription?

@itsANDREW

Yes, Qriocity has been around for several months, and it is structured very similar to Zune.

Here's the problem. When I purchase MP3 files from Amazon or iTunes, I can play them on any device I own.

When I use the free streaming service Pandora, I can access the service on my iPod Touch, my Roku Box, even my Panasonic television.

In this market, Microsoft and Sony offer platform lock-in music subscription sevices, and I'm just not interested. "Pay us a fee, and you'll be able to listen to music, but only on a Zune/XBox or a PS3/PSP."

@copa

You can listen to them on your VAIO/Bravio aswell AFAIK

@itsANDREW

With the zune pass you get 10 songs a month for free that can play on anything.

@copa
iTunes music is restricted to apple's devices, not everything, legally anyways.

@Monkeyzamm

If you burn the music to a CD first, and then rip the CD back to your computer, the music will lose it's DRM and play on any device.

Two questions I feel are important: How much is it? And can we use it while we're playing games?

@CrimsonRyan My guess is it will be $10-17/month(crosses fingers for PS+ discount)....and no....not playing it during games.....this gen....PS4/PSP2 for sure, hopefully

@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi
A PS+ discount would be so boss! Here's hoping!

@CrimsonRyan yup....PS+ better be good for more than just games eventually!!

I wonder when Microsoft is going to allow Zune Marketplace or Last.FM streaming in the dashboard background.... They said it was in the works a while back but, it hasn't panned out yet....

Two questions for me;
will it have a large library of songs that i can put onto my mp3 player and store on my computer? And will it be available in Canada?
If yes to both then sold!!!

Don't we already have Vidzone in Europe?

substitute the word subscribers for ps+ users and I'm sold

Is the picture in 3D or are my eyes broken?

@PSBuckshot it clearly is.

@MiguelAMX Was kind of an observation joke. But never mind.

@PSBuckshot Your eyes are broken....DUH

Not sure if they ever got any better as the generations went on but the PSPs Music fidelity is sorta weak.

I guess i'm one of the few left who still uses ATRAC+ on their PSPs?

*crickets* *crickets*

Ok... i'm the only one left then... :(

cloud based... Nows the time i wish i had an evo 4g with froyo hotspot abilities to hook up my pspgo to this.

Well as Zune never made it to Europe I guest Sony will take the lead.
Why does microsoft (not xbox) always miss the non-US markets so badly?

Also hopefully this will be the smaller streaming audio only.

@coiled string

Anytime MS launches a product in Europe, they get slapped with a monoply suit and sued to hell and back.

Blame the government.

Yea it's not locked to just the PS3/PSP dude....but from the looks of it will work on most of Sony's upcoming devices....tho I see nothing about the Cameras that will have a SonyNetwork account baked in....

First off, fuck you Joystiq for reminding of ATRAC. *cringe*

Also, I really like the initial sound of this. A could based system might mean the ability to buy something and either copy the file or somply stream it - a nice choice for saving on file space for those of us limited in that respect (I'm nowhere near limited, but a good idea is a good idea).

I hope this comes to the US, as kick ass features that are exclusive to other regions is now becoming Sony's trademark.

Too little, too late.

@RyogaVee How so? Explain or get blasted into oblivion. This feature is more than welcome and is nowhere near too late.

So is this streaming, or will I be able to actually download these songs to my PSP?

I'd love to be able to take my PSP to work instead of my MP3 player. At least then I could game in my off-time. =P

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Why not just put the songs on your mp3 player on your PSP right now?

@golfs4panzys Because I subscribe to Rhapsody.

If I can switch my music subscription to this Sony offering and use my PSP, I think I'd prefer that.

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze this actually SCREAMS that the PSP2 will have SOME sort of cellular data baked in....

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Why not just put the songs on your mp3 player on your PSP right now?

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze

I'm not sure why Joystiq decided to post my comment reply again... 3 hours later...

I hope Sony announces the PSP2 soon.

can't you just use the browser and go to grooveshark?

I'm sick of this, why does the UK and Japan get all the good stuff, Where's our Play TV?, and our Music Unlimited service? Does Sony not think Americans would appreciate things like this? Seriously look how long It took the US to get the blasted camera, that Is now Irrelevant thanks to the PSP Go.

We got HULU

If this doesn't have lossless and/or HD audio, I don't see the point. What's the differentiator? The only point to lock-in for me would be if it takes advantage of the PS3's in-built ability to play 24-bit audio. It would have to be better than physical CD quality for me to give a crap, and I buy *a lot* of music both online and in physical disc form.

You foreigners have it good. I am a loyal Zune owner, yet Canada has yet to allow Zune services up here. You can't even buy Zunes. I highly doubt that this is going to come to Canada :(

Scrobbling support and I'm in.

and of course this goes to Europe... i'm not trying to hate. honestly. but i dislike how Europa get's all the cool video/music services.... can we at least expect to see something similar stateside? lol but i digress and its wutev.

I'm not even going to get excited about this. Based on every other service it's going to be so riddled with Region Locking and DRM it'll be pointless. I'll just stick to games.

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Breaking News

Music Unlimited coming to PS3 and PSP by year's end

Reader Comments (41)

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 12:25PM itsANDREW said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 1:01PM copa said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 2:03PM Carl1412 said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 2:38PM Tiptup300 said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 6:12PM Zetro said

Posted: Sep 2nd 2010 1:17AM Slayer15 said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 12:28PM CrimsonRyan said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 2:32PM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 2:33PM CrimsonRyan said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 3:12PM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 12:33PM PlatinumSkeet said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 12:37PM Inect said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 12:38PM NathanDTS said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 12:44PM prodigy69 said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 12:45PM PSBuckshot said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 12:53PM MiguelAMX said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 1:15PM PSBuckshot said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 2:32PM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 12:47PM Scuffles said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 12:51PM InfinitiProject said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 12:54PM MiguelAMX said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 12:55PM coiled string said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 1:20PM R Planteer said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 2:29PM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 1:09PM Nobledevil Gaming Optimist said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 1:35PM RyogaVee said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 2:27PM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 2:23PM Ezio Auditore da Firenze said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 2:43PM golfs4panzys said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 2:48PM Ezio Auditore da Firenze said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 3:13PM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 6:02PM golfs4panzys said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 6:47PM golfs4panzys said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 3:39PM apresmode said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 4:55PM Meteorafallen said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 6:37PM Justhellboy said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 7:06PM matthargett said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 7:37PM King Johngie the Fourth said

Posted: Sep 1st 2010 9:08PM Zoidberg said

Posted: Sep 2nd 2010 4:26PM Weirdo93 said

Posted: Sep 2nd 2010 8:00PM PlasticRat said

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