LaLa.com has a Slick Interface and Cool Features.

I know LaLa.com has been around for a while, but I just came across it so it I’m posting.  When I first heard about it, I thought it was probably just another music streaming service – another contender like Rhapsody or Amazon for the iTunes throne (ironically Apple just scooped up LaLa.com).

But Lala.com is actually an awesome concept executed with awesomeness. Let me layout what it basically it is.

• Music Streaming Service (You can listen to anything free once)
• Online Music Store (10 cents for online only and 90 cents for mp3 downloads)
• Remote Music Streaming Service (more on this later)
• Social network and Music Discovery Tool

So basically it’s just a music streaming service kind of like rhapsody.  It’s all browser based but has a nice simple player interface – a lot like Itunes.  You can browse music, listen to anything once all the way through for free, and then hear 30 second previews after that.

Instead of paying for a membership or subscription, you buy songs individually like on iTunes.  However, you have two reasonable options.  10 cents will get you an online version of the song added to your library. You can listen to it while logged in to LaLa.com as much as you want and from any computer you can get internet access on. Pay another 80 cents (or 90 cents from the start) and you can download the mp3 to your harddrive.

Now comes the most awesome part of this setup – you can sync your existing music library to your LaLa.com online collection.  Meaning that music you already paid someone for, can be added to your collection on LaLa.com without paying for it again.  Just use the LaLa Music Mover application.  Point it at the folder of your library and it will read the ID3 tags, and find the same songs listed in it’s own library.  Then those songs are added to your collection as “online only” tracks – you can’t re-download them, but anywhere you get internet, you can listen to your music collection.  This is especially useful if you have far more music than hard drive space on your laptop.  You can leave your music at home on an external hard drive, but still hear all your music on the go.

Oh yeah and there’s social networking – commenting, suggesting, reviewing etc.  There’s also facebook connect and twitter stuff.  All that goodness.

Lastly, I’ve heard word of a LaLa.com iphone app in the works.  I would LOVE to see this – finally I can take my music library with me without having to overload my iPhone with music – AND I don’t have to limit my music to a few machines (while still not pirating).  It’s a pretty awesome solution to a problem that has plagued digital music delivery since it started – You bought the music… so why can’t you put it on whatever computer you want?  Why can’t you play it when and where you want?

It’s just refreshing to feel like I actually OWN this music.  LaLa.com is one step closer to having real control over your digital collection.

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