Samsung Unveils its Music Hub Subscription Service

It looks like Aussies will start to get more of a taste of subscription music to go head to head with Sony’s offering, Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity. This comes in the absence of an offering from Microsoft and its Zune service and Google preventing people from outside the USA from signing up to its Google Music service (although there are ways around that).

It seems that Samsung Galaxy S II owners will get a free trial subscription to the service after which it will cost $10 a month for one active device (so you can use multiple devices but not simultaneously) and you can’t use it in a web browser while $15 a month allows for four simultaneous devices plus the ability to stream in a web browser. Tracks can also be purchased for download as well.

I really do hope this signals the beginning of subscription based music in Australia. I’ll still be hanging out for the Zune subscription model when hopefully it materialises this year or next year (with the five free tracks a month intact as well which would be very nice). Digital music is very much the way forward and the sale of music on physical media should continue to decline. In fact, it still makes me wonder how CD shops turn a profit these days and remain viable.

Apparently, the beta version of the app is still rather buggy so it remains to be seen as to how good the experience will end up being. However, if you want to check it out apparently there is a popup store at 379 George Street in Sydney that is open until Friday 14th October, 2011.

It just amazes me that Samsung has done something for Australia that Google either couldn’t manage or just couldn’t be bothered doing outside of its own backyard. I’d also be interested to see if this service is made available on the Samsung Omnia 7 as well.

For more information on Samsung Music Hub, click here.