A few weeks ago, I predicted that, along with the iPad, Apple would also debut a version of iTunes that would upload your music collection to the Web and let you stream it back down to your iPhone or iPod Touch.
Well, it turns out I was wrong (for now, anyway).
Fortunately, if you’re someone whose music collection outstrips the storage capacity of your iPhone, iPod Touch, Android phone, Netbook, iPad, or whatever, there are a number of tools you can use to get your music collection online and beam it to whatever device you find handy.
Be forewarned: not all of the following methods will stream music to a mobile device. Some will bridge the gap between your home computer and work computer; some will store actual copies of your music; some will simply sling songs from your home computer; and some offer just an approximation of your music collection.
Simplify Music 2
As the name implies, the concept behind Simplify Music is fairly simple. After installing the application on your home computer (Mac or PC), you can browse and stream any song from that machine using an iPhone, iPod Touch, or another computer.
Pros:
No limit to the size of your library
Add libraries of friends (up to 30)
Recognizes playlists
Works with UPnP devices such as Xbox, Roku, Sonos
Cons:
Doesn’t work with DRM music
Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later,
Requires your host system to always be on
You can’t transfer music
MP3 Tunes
MP3 Tunes wrote the book when it comes to moving your music collection to the cloud. Since 2005, MP3 Tunes has offered an easy, yet surprisingly sophisticated, system for uploading your music and streaming it over the Web. Recent compatibility with the iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, and Squeezebox makes MP3 Tunes more compelling than ever.
Pros:
Free Airband app for iPhone/Touch and Android
2GB free, paid accounts up to 200GB
Transfers playlists
iTunes
like Web interface for streaming and organizing your music
Compatible with several desktop Internet radios, including Logitech Squeezebox
Tune Up feature allows you to edit track info and album art online
LockerSync feature automatically updates cloud with any new music you’ve added to your library
Cons:
Beyond 2GB, you’re paying $4.95/month for 50GB, all the way up to 200GB for $12.95/month
Free accounts are ad-supported
You can’t transfer music
Doesn’t work with DRM music
Drop.io (also see Playlist.io)
Drop.io is geared more toward businesspeople looking for an easy way to share documents, but it can function as an online music locker, too. You’ll need a paid account in order to upload more than a playlist of music, but if you’re in the market for a flexible online drop-box, a Drop.io account could solve multiple problems. Compared with the other services on this list, Drop.io’s biggest asset is the ability to download your songs back down from the cloud, instead of simply streaming them.
Pros:
100Mb free
Can upload any file type (music, images, documents) and share with anyone
Files are downloadable
Works with iPhone, iPod Touch, Boxee, and free to stream on any PC
Cons:
Not geared for music (no album art, ID3 tag sort, or playlists)
Need a paid account to upload more than 100Mb (a short playlist)
Paid accounts are pricey, starting at 10GBfor $19/month
Doesn’t work with DRM music, although downloaded songs can be authorized to play
You’ll need to update your collection manually
Legally, the responsibility is on you to make sure others don’t download your music
