Samsung preparing to charge for Milk Music after launching as a free service

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Samsung launched a streaming music service called Milk last month. The service grabbed headlines as it was free to download, free to use without ads and didn’t even require users to log in. That’s certainly appealing on a number of fronts although a new infographic from Samsung suggests the company is preparing to reverse course on that promise.

 

 

The infographic in question was posted on Samsung Global’s website and highlights a basic service that’ll be free to use with ads. Those that don’t want to fool with ads can pay $3.99 per month to get rid of them and gain access to some exclusive features (no word on what those features are, exactly).

 

An asterisk under the basic service says the ad-free promotion was only a special introductory offer. As Gizmodo points out, that useful bit of information is never mentioned in the original press release or on the Milk Music website. The only mention of it (aside from the infographic) is in the fine print on the Google Play app description.

 

Sounds a lot like bait and switch, no?

 

Of course, there’s plenty about the change that we still don’t know yet. The service is only available in the US as of writing – perhaps the revision is designed to build funds so Samsung can bring the service to other parts of the world or to other devices?

[NeophobiA 1,503]

I'd like to know more about this 'streaming service' is it like shoutcast or just a playlist streamer.?. Will look into it... Cheerz....

[NeophobiA 1,503]

At this point, there are few reasons anyone would opt for Samsung‘s new Milk Music streaming service over Spotify or Pandora, and the biggest one just went out the window. Less than two months after the service’s March 7 launch, Samsung has finally ended its initial no-cost, ad-free offering, and will soon charge $4 per month for its “Premium Service” subscription option; Samsung snuck the news into a slick infographic via its blog today.

The bizarrely titled Milk Music, which is powered by Slacker‘s collection of around 13 million tracks, will still be available at no cost as part of a “Basic Service” package, but just like its stalwart competition, users will be hit with ads in exchange for the free ride. The Premium Service will be ad-free and comes with “exclusive features” that Samsung has yet to reveal.

The move has been expected since Samsung first unveiled its new service, which looks to compete in an exceedingly crowded field. The addition of ads can be seen as an incentive to convert to paid subscriptions, in an industry that has seen slim profit margins even while enjoying an expanding user base.

Top players in the market are also experiencing other monetary complications. Yesterday industry leader Pandora was sued by a number of high profile music labels (Sony, *****W, Capitol) who accuse the service of failing to pay royalties for thousands of pre-1972 recordings. The lawsuits come almost exactly one month after Pandora’s decision to raise its monthly subscription cost from $4 to $5 in light of the rising costs of music royalties. Beats Music is facing a similar debacle as it continues to pour money into its assault on Spotify. All in all, the music-streaming market is a volatile one to jump into right now.

Even with a backer as monstrous as Samsung, Milk Music will have a tough battle ahead if the new service wants to give Spotify and other competitors a run for their money. Have you used Milk Music yet? How did you like it? Let us know in the comments.