Friday, December 2, 2005

MP3tunes Rolls Out Online Music Storage Service

San Diego-based MP3tunes has rolled out Oboe, an online music storage service that allows users to store their music collection online. The new service allows music listeners to upload and store their entire music collection online and stream music from any Mac, Windows, or Linux machine. MP3tunes, the latest company from MP3.com creater Michael Robertson, said it will charge $39.95 per year for unlimited storage for the service. Earlier this year, Robertson hired Jon Lech Johansen "DVD Jon", the hacker known for his work on the DVD DeCSS decryption software, to work on the project. The new service supports MP3, iTunes, WMA, and Ogg format music files. The service resembles MyMP3.com, a "storage locker" that offered pre-ripped MP3 files for users but which was the target of a successful lawsuit by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The difference is the new Oboe service requires that users upload their own files and not share accounts.

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