Clearly, streaming is the way forward for music listening. A service like Spotify should theoretically satisfy your melodic needs from dawn till dusk, but in reality, I find myself skipping off to YouTube and SoundCloud all the time to get the latest oh-it-hasn’t-got-that-one track. It makes building a single library of your favorite music impossible, and it is mighty irritating, too. Bop.fm seeks to solve this issue by bringing a ton of music services into one, new, iOS app.
Bop.fm’s web platform has actually been around a while, but this foray into the App Store marks an important make-or-break moment for what is, effectively, a music aggregator.
First impressions suggest that it is likely to do well. Bop.fm offers integrations with Spotify, Beats Music, Deezer, Rdio, YouTube, SoundCloud and others, but the experience is seamless — it really feels like you’re listening to a single, consolidated library. This is aided by the app’s official artist pages, which mimic those found in many of the originating streaming services, and provide fairly comprehensive access to the tune-maker’s discography. With the music flowing, Bop.fm’s controls are clear, easy to operate and stylish.
The other high point of this app is in the social department. Sharing a track on some streaming platforms can be a dicey game of guessing whether friends will be able to access the music. Not so with Bop.fm — it simply selects the appropriate source, and plays it for anyone who visits the URL.
It must be said that even Bop.fm can’t make up for the patchy availability of certain tracks outside of the US. However, as a way of reducing the frustration of cross-service streaming, it is mighty effective.
You can download Bop.fm’s new free app from the App Store, or check out the original web platform here.
Extra Time — Wakie’s Weird and Wonderful “Social Alarm Clock”
Wakie’s bizarre waking-up social network also made its debut in the App Store this week. The idea is that an anonymous user somewhere in the world wakes you up, at your desired rising time, with a friendly conversation…or even a song.
While that might sound like your idea of hell, the already-established Android and Windows Phone versions of the app have been very popular downloads, and finally Apple has now approved the iOS app.
On the plus side, it’s likely to stop you falling asleep again…
Wakie is available free in the App Store.
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