Disqus
The open beta for BBM Music is being extended a bit past January for Americans, but up in Canada, we now have the option to check out a beta for the next version with a smattering of new features. The gifting mechanism recently launched in BlackBerry App World is now available for BBM Music, so you can beg for BBM Music subscriptions from BlackBerry Messenger contacts. BBM Music will also shoot out a notification for when your free trial is about to expire, so you can cancel before being charged.
One of my many initial complains about BBM Music was that it didn’t update your status with what you were listening to like that native media player, but they’ve patched that up in in version 1.1. You can also invite friends on Facebook and Twitter to be your buddy on BBM Music, as well as share individual tracks you’re listening to. Of course, for now the links that are being shared are only accessible on BlackBerry devices with BBM Music installed, but I’m sure in time folks in desktop browsers will be able to check out the share music too. Aside from that, there are a smattering of other UI and performance tweaks, but it’s more or less the same experience: pick 50 songs, add friends, get access to their songs. Just make sure you have friends with good taste in music. And that they own a BlackBerry. And that they’re also willing to shell out $5/month for the service. And that they listen to music exclusively on their phone.
If you’re in Canada and want to give BBM Music 1.1 a shot, sign up for the program over here in the Beta Zone.
About The Author
Simon Sage
Simon Sage’s education largely surrounded writing, technology and online community, leading him to begin his blogging career at www.BlackBerryCool.com and to quickly discover a vibrant and active community surrounding BlackBerry and mobile technology. In exploring RIM’s platform, he has learned what enterprises are looking for in mobility as well as what makes the innocuous BlackBerry so appealing to them. Recently Simon’s been covering RIM’s gradual move into an already-crowded consumer market, and the impact of burgeoning challengers, such as the iPhone, as well as long-time leaders, like Nokia, on BlackBerry’s advancement. With plenty of content under his belt, Simon will be branching off a bit to see what other smartphone manufacturers are working on while still using BlackBerry as a barometer. At IntoMobile, you can count on his posts being even-handed, well-informed and thought-out.
