Google Play Music may be a favorite amongst Android users when it comes to uploading and storing your music in the cloud, but they are not the only option available. Sure Google offers quite a bit and they do it for free, but there are reasons to look elsewhere. And in this case we look towards Amazon and the Cloud Player, which in this case pairs with the Amazon MP3 app on your smartphone or tablet.
The Amazon MP3 app has recently been updated and there are quite a few notable changes. The update brings the app to v3.0.2 and with that comes word of a faster app. Amazon has said the app is now “lightening fast” with an overall “improved speed and reduced time to playback.” Speed improvements are almost always welcomed, but in this case that came along with an updated look and feel.
The app itself has gotten a refresh. Basically, just a new look, and as an Amazon Cloud Player and Amazon MP3 app user — the look is much improved. Along with the refresh, Amazon has also added Facebook sharing. The social sharing is just that, another way for you to clog your Facebook feed by telling everyone what you are listening to. You’ll notice the Facebook logo towards the upper right corner in the screenshot sitting above.
The final addition with this update dealt with the widget. Similar to the overall design, Amazon has simply refreshed the widget. And again, the look is much improved. You can see the widget below. Just to give some further explanation though, while there are two widgets in the picture — it is actually just one on your device. The top widget is what it looks like when music isn’t playing and the bottom widget is what it looks like once music begins.
All that being said, the big difference between Google Play Music and Amazon MP3 (Cloud Player) comes down to price. Google is free and Amazon is $25 per year. But for some, Amazon MP3 becomes a winner because of Sonos integration, which is something that Google doesn’t yet have with Play Music.
VIA: Google Play Store
I still buy a lot of music from Amazon when they have the occasional sale, but having Google Play All Access pretty much means that I use Play Music for everything – my own music, radio and shared playlist listening. If Amazon had a subscription msuic service, I would definitely consider it though, especially if it came with Prime membership.
A service mixed with Prime would be wonderful. I currently use a mix of Amazon for my own music and Slacker for streaming.