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Windows Phone 7 Wednesday; Zune isn't the only audio option

By | January 19, 2011, 5:30am PST

Summary: One of my favorite features on Windows Phone 7 is the Zune integration. However, there are many more audio choices and now even an app for wireless podcast downloads.

Another week and another 428 apps for the Windows Phone 7 platform, including a couple more cool Xbox LIVE game titles I need to download and give a try. You will find iBlast Moki ($2.99) and 3D Brick Breaker Revolution ($2.99). Remember, you can install both of these and give them a try for free before you make the purchase and you will find them in the Games hub and not on the list of applications.

The number of new apps each week is staying fairly consistent at just over 400 a week and this week I decided to talk about some of the audio content alternatives you have on Windows Phone 7, primarily because I FINALLY found a podcatcher application that lets me find, subscribe, and download all of my podcasts over 3G and WiFi. This functionality is really something Microsoft should have in the Zune part of Windows Phone 7, but for $1.99 you can get an app that works quite well.

You can stream Zune Marketplace songs and albums you select, but you might want to have some software present songs based on your listening preferences or catch some live sports or news from your favorite AM radio stations so this week let’s take a look at five apps to enhance your audio experience on Windows Phone 7.

  1. BringCast: As I mentioned above, I can finally get all my favorite podcasts downloaded right to my HD7 thanks to BringCast. BringCast supports video and audio podcasts, downloading via 3G or WiFi, playlist support, import from OMPL, and full integration with the Music and Videos hub on Windows Phone 7. It was cool to see the podcasts I downloaded in the Music and Videos hub, but unfortunately you cannot use other apps while listening to your podcasts even though you can turn off your display. The trial version supports 3 feed subscriptions, but I skipped right over that and paid the low price of $1.99 for this application and am happy with the software performance and functionality.
  2. Slacker Radio: I became a fan of Slacker Radio over a year ago on my Android device so I was quite pleased to see it available on my T-Mobile HTC HD7 at launch. I used to use Pandora, but personally find Slacker Radio doesn’t repeat as often and serves up more music I enjoy. This current version on Windows Phone 7 is FREE and the more advanced features, including offline caching, should be coming in future updates for subscription customers. Slacker also integrates into the Music and Videos hub.
  3. Last.fm: Similar to Slacker Radio, I enjoy using Last.fm for streaming music content on my mobile devices. Last.fm actually comes to WP7 from Microsoft and is a great looking and enjoyable application that even shows you local events. Last.fm is available for FREE.
  4. iheartradio: Your Windows Phone 7 device has an integrated FM radio, but you really need AM to listen to live sports and news. This is where iheartradio comes into play with over 750 favorite local radio stations. You can search by city, genre, and personalities so you should be able to find something that interests you. I love the way you can hear a song you like then jump right into Zune Marketplace to get that song through your Zune Pass. There is a premium option for select commercial-free content too. iheartradio is available for FREE and I highly recommend it.
  5. Soundtrckr: Another streaming music application that I just recently started trying out on my Symbian^3 Nokia N8 and HD7 Windows Phone 7 device is Soundtrckr. The application is available for FREE and you do need to sign up for a free account to use the application. You get access to over 8 million songs, with the ability to create and share personal radio stations with friends. You can search your city for music and share your favorite stations via Facebook and Twitter.

There are more cool audio apps, like Shazam and Resco Radio, but the ones above are my top five favorite apps. What are your favorite audio-related apps on Windows Phone 7?

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Topics

Matthew Miller started using a Pilot 1000 in 1997 and has been writing news, reviews, and opinion pieces ever since.

Disclosure

Matthew Miller

Matthew is a professional naval architect by day and a mobile gadget freak at all other times. He purchases his own devices and then sells them on eBay or Craigslist to buy more. Many other devices are sent for review on a 30-day loaner basis and then returned to the carrier or manufacturer. If any are provided as “long term loaner units” this will be clearly disclosed in his reviews.

Biography

Matthew Miller

Matthew Miller started using a mobile devices in 1997 and has been writing news, reviews, and opinion pieces ever since. He is a co-host with GigaOM's Kevin Tofel on the MobileTechRoundup podcast and an author of three Wiley Companion series books. Matthew started using mobile devices with a US Robotics Pilot 1000 and has owned over 125 different devices running Palm, Linux, Symbian, Newton, BlackBerry, iOS, Android, webOS, Windows Mobile, and Windows Phone operating systems. His current collection includes an HTC Radar 4G, Dell Venue Pro, Apple iPad 2, HTC Flyer, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Nokia N9, Apple iPhone 4S, MacBook Pro, and many more, along with tons of accessories and classic devices like the Apple Newton MessagePad 2100 and Sony CLIE UX50. Matthew can be found on various discussion forums under the user name of "palmsolo".
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RE: Windows Phone 7 Wednesday; Zune isn't the only audio option
tomlin21-24319035676893835085146735905770 11th Oct
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nice findings happy
but so far zune has been more than enough for me.
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Not good enough...
Socratesfoot Updated - 19th Jan 2011
Just one more..."Please like Windows Phone 7, It's getting better every day." blog from Mathew Miller. Yawn! Unlike Windows, Android now has over 70,000 apps to choose from.

Last time I checked, according to DISTIMO the Android Market was growing by more than 3000 apps a month and Apple by about 1500 a month. Windows Phone 7 is less than 500 apps per month, with a full set of developers tools available to the IT community for free and still only just beat out HP/Palm who for the most part is only developing internally at a snails pace of about 10.2 new apps per day. It's abysmal and discouraging.

I won't argue the appeal of the Windows Phone 7 interface to you or anyone. That's subjective and if you like it, great. But MS Marketing is geared in a way that is not conducive to ad supported apps, free apps, or open development. So how do you really see them marketing a device that needs to adapt continuously to consumer demand in a matter of days, not months?
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@Socratesfoot
Android - more than 3 years reached 70,000, OTOH, WP7 after 2.5 months reaching 7,000 apps. The apps development process and approval process is way bettern than Android at least for now. The developers interest is also increasing a lot and almost close to iOS platform.
Can you prove that WP7 apps are approved only 500 per month? I can prove you wrong. The app aproval process is picking more than 100 apps per day and it is between 400 and 500 apps per week. This way the WP7 Marketplace is getting between 1600 and 2000 apps per month, which is three times to four times more than yours. Check http://wp7applist.com or open Zune Desktop client and check.
Also the developers are increasing at a rapid pace.
@Socratesfoot you obviously can't read - 400 apps per week = 1600 per month

I quite like hearing about new Wp7 apps as it is a new platform and as an android user the availability of apps is important to any future decision to switch platforms. I have no interest in hearing about iOS or android apps because I am entirely satisfied that whatever app I want is already available.
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Troll
bnkamalesh 19th Jan 2011
@Socratesfoot
Miller's post is about audio apps available in Windows Phone 7, he didn't compare any platforms or mention about anything in the same horizon as iOS or Android. So I really don't see the point of your post other than TROLLING :-/
@Socratesfoot

Yes because it is absolutely horrible and intolerable that someone should have an opinion contrary to your own, how dare he!
@Socratesfoot
Do you just to show up to bash WP7 and nothing else? This article is NOTHING about that.
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Miserable Failure Phone Wednesday
Ron Burgundy 19th Jan 2011
There, fixed the title for you.
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Champion Village Idiot Everyday.
SonofaSailor 19th Jan 2011
@Ron Burgundy

There, fixed your name for you.
@SonofaGaySection8DontAskDontTellReject

Fixed it loser. What's wrong stalker no one to call child molester? Daddy not around?
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Miserable failure
Cylon Centurion 19th Jan 2011
@Ron Burgundy

Kinda of like your career after Ms. Corningstone took over? Eh, Ron?
@Ron Burgundy

Wow - sounds like your ego is tied to bashing MS. And when they do exceptionally well, you're ego runs and hide.. AWwwwww...
Matt
really good findings. I use Last.fm a lot. I will try remaining. I have to agree with bnlf. I find Zune is good.
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Thanks Matthew
GP101 19th Jan 2011
Microsoft need to extend out the Zune part of the experience, I want podcasts I have subscribed to downloading via the PC software or via wifi or 3g, shouldnt matter, its good to see others extending the system for MS but it also sounds like those solutions dont work as nice as a MS implemented one would.

I love my WP7 Mozart, 1.0 OS which needs more work but couldnt imagine going to Android or IOS at this time.
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Perhaps they need some remedial rebranding to get that name Zune off of things. It may be hurting sales.
@HollywoodDog
I doubt that. If you use a zune HD and ipod touch the zune kills the ipod and overall is a much better functioning device. microsoft needs to break their formula of releaseing new items with absolutly no advertising and start putting funding into it's marketing department. Think about it how many apple commercials do you see a day? Now how many microsoft zune , windeos, or wp7 commercials do you see?
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Hurting sales?
NonZealot 19th Jan 2011
@HollywoodDog
Isn't the name Zune now synonym for second-rate?

This is only true in the mind of Apple zealots like you and you would never buy this no matter what they called it. So no, the fact that Apple zealots want Zune to mean "second-rate" doesn't hurt sales since those were sales that were never going to happen in the first place.

What hurt sales is the fact that MS is one of the most incompetent marketers out there. The sad thing is that consumers suffer because they are stuck believing that the iPod is the best thing out there. sad
@NonZealot

Not just the 'best' thing, but in many cases, they literally think the iPod is the only thing out there.

I find it amazing the number of people for whom 'iPod' is a stand in meaning 'any and all MP3 players everywhere'...

I hear people say things like 'I need to buy an iPod' and I'll 'I wouldn't get an iPod'...and they respond by saying something like 'are you against portable music players?' and I explain that 'iPod' is a brand name, there are lots of other MP3 players out there, they are cheaper, have more features and you don't have to use iTunes...and it's like this is news to them...wow, Apple is not the only choice in the universe, you just blow their mind by telling them that.
@HollywoodDog
Like you will buy it anyway, troll.
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Nice post / advertising apps
P. Douglas Updated - 19th Jan 2011
Great post Matt Miller.

One thing I hope MS does, is provide a service for WP7 developers to advertise their apps on the web, and within other WP7 apps. Clicking on a WP7 app ad could take the user to a web page, where the developer could make his pitch, and even include excerpts of (and also links) to reviews of his apps on other web sites. From there, the user could download the app via the Zune PC software, or from the market place over the phone. The advertising service could even support campaigns across other media - if the developer has the resources to do so.

(One other thing: I believe advertising is particularly important for the sale of paid apps.)
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Weeee, look at all the Apple zealots!!!
NonZealot 19th Jan 2011
For a platform that they say is dead, they sure do spend a lot of time worrying about it!!!
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Thanx Matt
patchman 19th Jan 2011
Thanx Matt,
for the audio reviews..I have used lastfm (which is very nice) I am going to check out the other apps you mention. Free to try is a great way to quickly check out many apps on the marketplace. We have two samsung focus phones which are simply awesome.. Reading some comments It tickles me to see people can have such hatred from a phone choice... Should we all be using only 1 phone and no choice.? Thanks to wp7 we have another great choice ..After using wp7 for a couple months now for us has been a great choice .Thanx for the article Matt
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Channels, New Zune
P. Douglas Updated - 19th Jan 2011
One thing I believe would be great to have, are Zune Channels. Not the current Zune Channels that give you different mixes of music, but rather multimedia experiences third parties could create. A band could produce a channel that could feature news about the band, video or audio concert performances or interviews, live performances, access to band merchandise for sale, streams of the band music, a social network, etc. An entertainment network (from a small startup group, to E!, CNN, or ESPN) could also produce a channel with a comparable experience. Channels could be free or come in a package, and charged for as part of Zune Pass. This would expand the appeal of the Zune network / service, and provide an option for content providers to gain a steady stream of revenue. Of course at some point, MS will have advertise its Zune service for all this to take off, and make significant money.
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Zune...
james347 19th Jan 2011
...should never be an option, unless your a TOOL.
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Microsoft could find the cure for all cancers and there would still be someone out there to complain about how they achieved it. Truth is that WP7 is a nice platform and is far too new for people to be complaining about the number of apps. Close to 500 new apps per week is a pretty good for such a young OS. As for me, I like my Samsung Focus with WP7 and am looking forward to seeing how the OS matures.
I downloaded Zune yesterday and I am eagerly waiting for my WP7 ASAP here (Nigeria). The number of Apps is immaterial, what matters is their usefulness and the ability to sync with desktop counterparts of the same Apps as necessary.

I download 100s of Apps to my iPod Touch but how many of these do I actually use most frequently or find useful? Less than 10%. So what is the take about the number of Apps.

The greatest mistake is for MS can make is to be cowered into conviction that WP7 is dead on arrival. This planet is large enough to accommodate all kinds of mobile phones. Let the users/market decide the winners.

I use iPod Touch and I am satisfied with it. I can afford any version of iPhone/iPad but the process of getting them here is too cumbersome. So no iPhone for me. I will rather go for WP7 or any of the Androids. FIne the market here is very small by your standard. But what is good for US is good for us here too unless you say what is good for you is not good for your brothers.

Just tell us your user experience and why I should buy WP7 and not Android or iPhone. Stop fighting word wars like little children one of who fight with his friend because his father's Zonda Pagani is better than the others's Ferrari.

You people are so spoilt for choices that you throw decency aside. I find this disgusting.
Great tips, I will certainly try out the podcasting app. It is sad that so many people are so negative in this and other comments. A sign of the times I guess. Keep up the good work.
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Thanks Matthew!
1019902735 26th Jan 2011
Thanks Matthew for ALL of the app reviews you've done for the WP7 platform. Hope you continue to do so!
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RE: Windows Phone 7 Wednesday; Zune isn't the only audio option
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RE: Windows Phone 7 Wednesday; Zune isn't the only audio option
tomlin21-24319035676893835085146735905770 11th Oct
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