Apple expands iTunes Preview to allow browser-based song sampling

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
A month after Apple's purchase of music streaming service Lala, iTunes Preview has been expanded to allow 30-second song samples within a browser.



In November, Apple quietly introduced iTunes Preview, which gives customers the option to view content without launching the iTunes application. This week, the Web site has added the same half-minute song samples that are available from within iTunes.



By clicking a play button to the left of an artist's song, a sample of the track plays in a manner identical to iTunes. However, to purchase the content, users must still click the "View in iTunes" link.



In December, Apple purchased music streaming service Lala for $85 million. The acquisition is expected to pave the way for a cloud-based iTunes service that could allow users to access and manage their purchased content directly through the Internet, without using Apple's desktop media suite.



Currently, users are required to download and manage iTunes purchases on a per-computer basis. Some have speculated that, in the future, Apple could allow users to log into their iTunes account and stream the music they own from any computer or device with an Internet connection.



In October, Lala, along with iLike, entered a partnership with Google to allow users to quickly discover song previews, artist info, pictures, video and more. Currently, Google searches for artists or songs can return a full, streaming, embedded song at the top of results, courtesy of Lala -- unlike iTunes Preview's 30-second samples. Lala allows its users to stream any song in its 8 million strong song library once, with the option for unlimited streaming at 10 cents per track and 79 cents for permanent MP3 download.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 23
    successsuccess Posts: 1,040member
    That's a first and so is my post mo' fo's.



    Booya





  • Reply 2 of 23
    columbuscolumbus Posts: 282member
    Purchasing the next thing to come via the web?
  • Reply 3 of 23
    I like it.
  • Reply 4 of 23
    aizmovaizmov Posts: 989member
    Neat for those who don't have iTunes.
  • Reply 5 of 23
    str1f3str1f3 Posts: 573member
    Just give me the subscription service for $15/month with Genius and customizable playlists already. BTW I'm getting really sick and tired of trying to purchase an HD movie on iTunes only to find out it's not there when it was a week before. The movie industry is just pushing people to torrents.
  • Reply 6 of 23
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Aizmov View Post


    Neat for those who don't have iTunes.



    Its only for preview. To buy, they still have to use iTunes. I dont think there would be too many people who just preview and dont buy.



    A feature nonetheless. But not too useful nonetheless.
  • Reply 7 of 23
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by success View Post


    That's a first and so is my post mo' fo's.



    Booya









    Was that the guy with the painting show from the 70s, who was all mellow while he was painting, etc. ?
  • Reply 8 of 23
    motleemotlee Posts: 122member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Quadra 610 View Post


    Was that the guy with the painting show from the 70s, who was all mellow while he was painting, etc. ?



    Badass Bob Ross!!
  • Reply 9 of 23
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Motlee View Post


    Badass Bob Ross!!



    YES!!



    "Alright, and we'll put a happy little tree here, and another happy little guy here . . . and there you go . . ."
  • Reply 10 of 23
    jimehjimeh Posts: 1member
    Maybe it's just me, but I first noticed this feature back on the 22nd December. When I saw it, I told a friend of mine I was chatting with, and I just checked my logs to see the exact date.
  • Reply 11 of 23
    At last! I was bothered with need to install iTunes when someone simply wanted to point to me to piece of nice music I could get.



    In fact, I still buy full CD albums after buying a few sample songs from iTunes. There are valid reasons to do this, but they may become less valid in future... especially when DRM-free songs are popular now so, I can get them on few of my own iPod's or on CD for one of my cars that cannot play nice with iPod or any MP3 device, but it can play CD's.





    Thanks Apple for making life easier in this area.
  • Reply 12 of 23
    jensonbjensonb Posts: 532member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jimeh View Post


    Maybe it's just me, but I first noticed this feature back on the 22nd December. When I saw it, I told a friend of mine I was chatting with, and I just checked my logs to see the exact date.



    Yeah, I noticed this ages ago as well.
  • Reply 13 of 23
    mjtomlinmjtomlin Posts: 2,673member
    I don't think this has anything to do with LaLa.



    More to do with Apple changing the iTunes layout to HTML... allows them to plug "iTunes" pieces onto standard web pages.



    In fact, I bet we'll see a MobileMe based iTunes application that will allow you to log in from any computer and purchase content for your mobile device.
  • Reply 14 of 23
    tsatsa Posts: 129member
    Now we just have to wait until Apple lets us buy music without using iTunes. Their music is DRM-free, so there is no reason to still use iTunes.
  • Reply 15 of 23
    desarcdesarc Posts: 642member
    30 second previews are just a way of testing the system before making purchases available.

    personally i'm not interested unless apple lets me upload all of the music i've had my entire life, purchased on cd and ripped to mp3's, and allow me to access that as well as content purchased through i-whatever-is-after-itunes.
  • Reply 16 of 23
    aizmovaizmov Posts: 989member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Chintan100 View Post


    Its only for preview. To buy, they still have to use iTunes. I dont think there would be too many people who just preview and dont buy.



    A feature nonetheless. But not too useful nonetheless.



    Apple should allow purchases or release iTunes for other OSes.
  • Reply 17 of 23
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mjtomlin View Post


    I don't think this has anything to do with LaLa.



    i wouldn't be surprised to find out that they are using parts of LaLa for running this. or that if in the near future (say about two weeks from now) they announce a merging where you're itunes store account and lala will be linked. all existing apple ids are registered into lala and early lala folks can link theirs by going to this profile link.



    and a new lala app so you can have your whole music library on your device without taking up tons of space.



    it would be cool if you think about it. imagine I buy a song on itunes but I forget to sync it over to my iphone/touch/tablet. I just fire up the lala app and it's already there cause the system knows that I bought the song and has auto registered it as streamable.



    on the flip, perhaps this preview thing will combine with lala. you are streaming something and genius comes up with a suggested artist you don't know, you go to the preview page and listen to some tracks. you buy and again, auto streaming. but better yet, it's listed as 'available for download' the next time you open itunes at home.



    and maybe in the future there will be two prices for music. one for streaming only and one for streaming and download.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Aizmov View Post


    Apple should allow purchases or release iTunes for other OSes.



    you mean like Windows? cause it has had one for a while.



    perhaps what you are thinking is that they would allow syncing with non ipods. they most likely will never (until the laws make them) cause itunes is part of the package to push folks into buying ipods, much like Mac OS X make a profit by making you buy Apple hardware.



    as for the apps, again, it's about pushing you to buy Apple hardware. and they don't prevent folks from porting games to Android etc if they want.



    and the movies and tv are under the control of the studios. they don't want files that work any and everywhere cause the DRM is too easily cracked the more open you are (they say) and they don't want to hand over pretty 720-1080 files to folks to upload to the torrents etc
  • Reply 18 of 23
    Quote:

    Some have speculated that, in the future, Apple could allow users to log into their iTunes account and stream the music they own from any computer or device with an Internet connection.



    About time too.



    Its always struck me as odd why Apple has taken so long with this. I mean i have Napster, streaming through my Sonos, Spotify streaming through my iPhone and all the time i'm thinking why hasn't Apple done this.



    Maybe its been a curse helping the music industry out of a hole. Maybe they don't like what Apple has become. Whatever the reasons there's definitely something afoot.
  • Reply 19 of 23
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Motlee View Post


    Badass Bob Ross!!



    I was going to say Rolf Harris
  • Reply 20 of 23
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by charlituna View Post


    Originally Posted by Aizmov View Post

    Apple should allow purchases or release iTunes for other OSes.



    you mean like Windows? cause it has had one for a while.



    Ever heard of Linux? There are Linux users with iPods who complain that Apple is deliberately preventing them from syncing with their iPods, or that they can't buy music because Apple won't write a version of iTunes for Linux.



    Granted, Linux represents about 1% of the installed base of desktop OS's, but an all-browser iTunes would allow Apple to sell music and other content to those users.
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