HiFi Blog: digital audio goodness

The big news today in digital music-land is the launch of Oboe, Michale Robertson’s latest venture.

So what is it?

In short, Oboe allows you to backup your music collection, so that you can later sync it with your PC or stream it from their online interface. They’ve even got an iTunes plugin which will allow you to easily backup your iTunes music library (with playlists, etc.)

Oboe works with all major music formats (MP3/WMA/OGG/AAC/)—AIFF and MIDI support is here too, but WAV/FLAC/ALCA are not supported in this version. You can also backup your purchases from the iTunes Music Store or Napster, but you won’t be able to reproduce those via the web interface. Oboe’s software is available for all major platforms (Windows/Mac/Linux). The web interface is easy to look at. And I like the fact that you can edit your tracks’ information from within the web interface.

Cost

It costs $39.95/year, available immediately to users worldwide. You get unlimited storage/syncing bandwidth/streaming (at 192kbps). The number of initial sign-ups is going to be limited to ensure best service.

There’ll also be a free option to help you get a taste of the technology: no backing up your local music library or syncing, just the ability to fill your locker with music already available online, and stream it.

Goals

Robertson says in a post on his website:

The fundamental goal of Oboe is to make all your music available to you on all devices. Rather than lock you into a Microsoft “Plays for Sure” or an iPod monopoly, I want a world where you can play your music on products from any vendor and even across vendors. The first version of Oboe makes it possible to have your music on any PC – Macintosh, Microsoft Windows or Linux – and works with any music software. Before the end of the year, we’re going to publish the Oboe APIs making it possible for your music to be zapped to any phone, PDA, tablet, game console or any other device with speakers.

RIAA declined to comment on Oboe, according to the AP.

First impressions

It’s a bit too early in the morning but I can’t think of any major drawback to the service, so maybe this section should be renamed to “Positive impressions”. Things I really like:

• their pricing scheme—a flat annual fee, with no lame bandwidth restriction.


• their multi-format, multi-platform support

As Oboe starts being put into heavy use, I assume we’ll start seeing some (inevitable) negative feedback appearing.

Miscellaneous

• It’s worth noting this is Robertson’s second attempt at creating a music locker. The first one was in 2000 with “my.mp3”, which, as we all know, brought the wrath or the labels and eventually led to MP3.com’s closing up shop.


• Oboe’s website is: http://mp3tunes.com/—MP3tunes, Robertson’s DRM-free music store, now lives at: http://mp3tunes.com/store.php


• DVD Jon, who was employed by Roberston last month, works on Oboe—from our previous coverage: “anyway, he’ll be working on Oboe, a ‘significant new project’ for MP3tunes that will ‘bring digital music into the 21st century’, according to Robertson.”