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T-Mobile made nice on their promise to greatly increase the list of services compatible with Music Freedom by the end of the holiday season. In case you aren’t aware, Music Freedom allows T-Mobile customers to listen to music while using network data without having it count toward data usage. It’s a great perk for being part of the Uncarrier movement, and now it’s getting even bigger — 14 new services have been added to the list.
The biggest name is Google Play Music, one which everyone’s been waiting for since Music Freedom was announced. Other notables include SoundCloud and Xbox Music, but that’s just scratching the surface. Here’s the full list of new additions:
- Google Play Music
- Xbox Music
- SoundCloud
- RadioTunes
- Digitally Imported
- Fit Radio
- Fresca Radio
- JAZZRADIO
- Live365
- Mad Genius Radio
- radioPup
- radio.com
- ROCKRADIO
- Saavn
That brings the full list to a whopping 27 services. Here are the other 13 that were added in previous updates:
- Rhapsody
- Pandora
- AccuRadio
- Black Planet
- Grooveshark
- iHeartRadio
- iTunes Radio
- Samsung Milk Music
- Radio Paradise
- Rdio
- Slacker
- Songza
- Spotify
Not too shabby, T-Mobile. Still not seeing your favorite music service? T-Mobile regularly holds polls to see which services are most requested, and they also ask for the creators of these services to submit a request to be included. Their lofty dream of having every music service imaginable available on Music Freedom means it’s not impossible to see even the most niche apps get added over time, as well, so contact the developers of your favorite apps and sit tight if they haven’t already been added.
[via T-Mobile]
This is how net neutrality dies.
Not necessarily. The data still moves at the same speed, and if they add all/most music services,it’s really just a discount on data charges, possibly the first step getting back to cheap unlimited data again. Obviously it depends on not being sleazy. I’m surprised and glad theyare adding smaller services,when they first announced this I thought they’d just make half a dozen special apps get preference. Cheap unlimited data is inevitable, pipes are dumb and data is a commodity.
And I’m halfway between you and Joe on this…
On the one hand, T-Mobile seems to be making an effort to include anyone/everyone, and not picking or choosing. On the other, it’s definitely not According-to-Hoyle neutrality.
If there isn’t true neutrality, this is at least a fairly benevolent dictatorship.
It is in that these services don’t count against your data, even if they included all music services, but everything else does.
I couldn’t agree more. Picking winners/losers, penalizing entire classes of services, and creating barriers to entry for new, smaller players are all the challenges that the Net Neutrality movement is trying to address. This is a corporate, sell-out Carrier move by the supposed Uncarrier.
this is in no way a sellout. those music services don’t pay tmobile anything to be a part of music freedom. also you realize most carriers use your LTE connection now to make your voice calls. would you be okay if carriers started counting your voice calls against your data usage for the sake of net neutrality? I didn’t think so
Again, the revenue model isn’t relevant. T-Mobile has something to gain commercially; that’s why they’re doing this. To your second point, VoLTE does not involve Internet access. It provides connectivity to a circuit voice gateway within the carriers’ networks, so your analogy does not apply.
VoLTE uses the Internet to work. So as a customer you ARE consuming data if you make phone calls.. They are just white listing a type of Internet service, such as voice calling, from counting as usage. It’s not a net neutrality issue because they are white listing a TYPE of data with music freedom and NOT competing services within a data type like att does with sponsored data. Also all tmobile plans let you consume as much data as you want. No one should be upset a type of data is being exempt from slower speeds. Tmobile still offers unlimited data without throttle as well so this is far from a strike against the open internet.
VoLTE does not traverse the Internet. You are simply wrong on this point. You should ask one of your fellow employees at T-Mobile to explain it to you.
Yes it does. Simple proof of that is to look at the latest software implementation of WiFi calling. It can hand the call off to VoLTE when leaving WiFi range and vice versa but not from WiFi calling to gsm voice that would drop the call. Without the Internet VoLTE simply wouldn’t be possible! I don’t see how you can deny this.
T-Mobile could cut off all external non-voice connections and VoLTE would continue to work. It is data, but it is terminated at the tower/central office.
It’s like saying because you can connect to the mail server at work and at home, that it must be using the internet at work instead of staying on the company network.
But they’re not “picking winners/losers”, any music service that enough users request get added eventually. TMobile isn’t deciding we like this service better than that service. And they aren’t in any way stopping you from using a service that’s not part of the program.
And how are they selling out? They aren’t getting paid to do this.
Your first sentence is self-refuting, so I’ll let you re-read that. If you think that T-Mobile makes these moves without any goal of financial gain, you’re sadly mistaken. Where the added value or revenue comes from is not the point.
It’s not “self-refuting”. TMobile’s customers are “picking winners/losers”, not TMobile. The only financial gain they get out of this is making their service more attractive to customers, they aren’t being paid by the music services.
We need podcast services on that list.
Like that idea. But then again, I guess we could ‘download’ the podasts on a wifi network…so long as we remember to.
Nice. Would like to see TuneIn Radio Pro there too.
Add those police scanners and I’d be satisfied
I’m slightly confused but think I know the answer. Users with TMo gain access to All Access? Or can just stream music already uploaded at no cost to their data allotment?
You still have to pay for All Access. Using the All Access does not count against your data allotment.
Wish they would add Beats Music
When does this kick in
Does this apply to prepaid customers too?
Is this All Access only? Or could I also stream music from my account that I have purchased?