(music) Anyone use Lala?

[SirFozzie]

You know what? I think they get it. And it's RIAA-approved apparently, which is a miracle in itself (god knows they've shot down similar projects in the past, MP3.COM, anyone?)

http://www.lala.com

Free Membership.

You can listen to any song in their collection once. After that you get the standard 30 second sample. If you want to add it to your collection, and listen to the full version via their website at any time, it costs 1 credit. You get fifty credits for signing up. Further credits only cost 0.10 each.

Want a DRM-free 256 kbps MP3 instead, perfect for Windows Media Player/ITunes etcetera? 89 cents for most songs (and if you had previously made it one of your web songs, that 10 cents comes off the purchase price!) Considering you get a DRM-encumbered, lower bit-rate file from iTunes for 99 cents, this is a bargain.

And then we get to the last part. If you're like me, a lot of the stuff you listen to is niche markets, like dance/techno, or (insert niche category here). Usually, these publishers are not usually available via iTunes or even Lala.. So how are you supposed to get your fix of what you want to hear?

We get to Lala's "Music Mover service". It's a service that allows you to upload your MP3's to the service, and it allows you to listen to it wherever you want via their web browser. (yes, it ties you to their web browser, but still... wow)

I'm in the middle of uploading my collection, and quite honestly, it's awesome (and for me to say that means something, considering my attitude towards most such "competitors" THIS is an iTunes-killer, plain and simple.

Get all this. Now.