Andre Yoskowitz
17 May 2010 0:25
Just 5 months after purchasing the music streaming service, Apple announced last month that it was planning to shut down Lala, likely signalling that it will be integrated into iTunes.com.
All current members have until May 31st to continue using the service, but as of May 1st the site stopped accepting any new members.
Lala was a download and streaming music service that gives members a "digital locker" to store their music. What made the company different from iTunes, Amazon MP3, etc, is that Lala would also sell streaming rights to tracks for pennies, allowing for unlimited streaming online of the track, but no physical download if they didn't want it.
This week, legal music store MP3Tunes has offered a discount to former Lala members, giving them a chance to sign up for the site for $0.10, a $39.85 discount off the regular price.
Users also get 50GB of free storage space when they sign up.
Adds CEO Michael Robertson: "About a year ago I wrote, "Your music will be controlled by Lala and will eventually vanish, because no company lasts forever." I can't promise MP3tunes will last forever - all companies will eventually go away. But I can do the next best thing. Each MP3tunes customer gets a software program called LockerSync which you can use to download your entire library anytime you like. It's the ultimate insurance policy so that you'll never be dependent on MP3tunes or any other company for your media."