Thumbplay Music ( TPM | thumbplay.com ) review

[placebo]

check out the brand-new music subscription service called "TPM" ( Thumbplay Music , thumbplay.com ). It has a FREE 3days trial without credit card registration, and a FREE 14days trial with credit card registration. Here some facts, pro's and con's:

+ you must install Adobe AIR
+ you must install the TPM-sw (Thumbplay Music software)
+ for TPM login, there is no webinterface, embedded player, GUI for the web browser, or alike. clearly, if you want to login to the service to use it (streaming audio listening), you must launch and use the TPM-sw. i think this is similar to MZMP and its ZUNE-sw.
+ the TPM-sw, on the PC, doesnt allow for any "unlimited subscription downloads" (cp. RHDY). it simply isnt possible. TPM is a pure music-on-demand subscription service: all you can do is stream music online; you cannot even buy single MP3 tracks!
+ what is being streamed is AAC (Content-Type: audio/x-m4a), file extension *.m4a, streamed over the http://-protocol. the bitrate is 96kbps.
+ the full streaming url ("http-link") can be captured with our default method and has a typical format/structure of:

http://cdn.thumbplay.com/***/Thumb_Content/Full_AAC/***/Mar23/*****_HD/cat5/XXXXXXXXXXXXX/XXXXXXXXXXXXX_1_5.m4a?nga=20100901234559&track=***&player=***&env=live&sig=***&sid=***
Referer: app:/ThumbplayMusic.swf

in fact, this url (and related info) is saved in a *.XML-file, just check your \Temporary Internet Files-folder
+ this http://*.m4a is protected streaming (authorization required) but the default method works smoothly to download the streams. you could also use Replay Music to record (instead of download) the music, or simply the good ol' Total Recorder tool.
+ TPM has the best connectivity to mobile devices (android, samsung, ipod, iphone, ipad, blackberry, etc.) on the market; this originates from their long experience on the mobile phone market
+ while RHDY and MZMP might well shut down their unprofitable subscription services (~US$9.99/month) in some future, TPM has just launched and is the most well-funded ("sponsored") IT-company of recent years. their website is impressive, all new and modern, and the TPM-sw is lightening fast, simple and convenient. and attractive.
+ although the bitrate is low (96kb/s), the music sounds really good. and i even think that the tracks sound notably better than most of the 160kbps *.WMA's downloaded with RHDY-sw or the 128kbps ITUNES-tracks.
+ the service has more than 10,000,000 tracks .. which is more than NAPS. i didnt find much for my personal musical taste but for mainstream music it has the broadest selection of artists and albums.
+ many/most albums (of my musical taste) i checked had 25-30% "Not Available"-tracks.
+ according to their news/blog site, ~90% of the subscribers (customers) use the service most of the time for/on their mobile devices, and not for online listening to music on the PC (with the TPM-sw).

verdict: i can highly recommend the subscription service, it is cheap, the best funded, and the most modern and impressive development of concept/website/software of its kind. It is not Java, it is not Microsoft Visual Basic, or C++, the whole application (including the installer! ) is based on Adobe AIR technology, the successor of Adobe Flash and Adobe Shockwave. so dont be shocked when you first see it. i've warned you

rather uncool: if you want to cancel your trial (or your subscription), you cant send them an email. You cant simply click on a button. nope. How then? You must call them on the phone!!



TPM-sw = thumbplay music software, Thumplay Music.exe
NAPS = napster.exe , napster.com
MZMP = microsoft zune marketplace, zune pass
ZUNE-sw = microsoft zune software, zune.exe
WMA = microsoft windows media audio (v9.x, v10.x, v11.x)
ITUNES = apple's itunes store
RHDY = real.com
RHDY-sw = rhapsody software , rhapsody.exe
"default method" = *RTFM*