MOG is on the verge of launching a $60/year “all you can eat” music service. We criticized them for over promising and under delivering, since earlier this year they were talking about a completely free music streaming service.
“Will MOG’s user experience be so compelling that users will pay $60/year for something they can get free elsewhere?” I wrote. We’ll see as more details of the service comes out, but MOG seems pretty bullish on the quality of the user experience. So bullish, in fact, that CEO David Hyman is convinced I’ll change my mind once I see it.
One group of bloggers won’t need to make that critical pay/no pay decision, though – MOG network bloggers. The 800 or so third party music bloggers (up from 300 earlier this year) that are part of the MOG network are being given free lifetime passes to the new service.
The email below was sent to MOG network bloggers and forwarded to us. We asked MOG if the deal will apply to new third party bloggers as well, and they say it will. So if you have a music blog and want free music for life, here’s your chance. Just note that MOG has to approve all blogs before they get into the network, so it has to be the real thing.
The email is below:
Subject: MOG has chosen you to receive a “Platinum Ticket” to MOG ALL ACCESS
Dear MMN Partner,
It’s a big day, indeed. After years of brainstorming, we’re proud to officially announce MOG ALL ACCESS, a revolutionary music service set to launch in just a few weeks.
This is a music listening service that gives you access to just about every album and song you can imagine, on demand, in one all-you-can-eat outlet. The user interface and discovery features are unmatched; we’ve got millions of songs from thousands of labels; and the adjacent radio service is something you just need to experience to believe. It comes with interactive playlist functions, playlist sharing tools, and much, much more. We’re music nerds, and we know what nerd s want. Believe me; it doesn’t get any better than this.
The fee for this service is going to be $5 a month. BUT WE’RE GIVING YOU LIFETIME FREE ACCESS AS AN MMN MEMBER!!!!!!!!! This “Platinum Ticket” is ONLY available to MMN partners. CONGRATS!!! We do ask that you use ALL ACCESS to make killer playlists with the service. Playlists are shareable amongst members so the more you make the better the service. This is all we ask in return. A few a week to share the love. Additionally, we’ll soon be announcing you how can provide these playlists on your blog. Stay Tuned.
What about when you’re walking around? No problem: we have a mobile component coming out later this year that will allow full, on-demand listening through mobile devices like your iPhone and Blackberry. Now, since our fee to the labels is steep on this part, it won’t be free when it launches, but we’re arranging a steep discount for MMN partners.
We can’t wait to show it to you. Watch this space for news on a full-access free trial in the coming weeks. And, for the full lowdown, read the press release below, and check out just a small segment of the coverage that’s come out below.
Peace Out,
David Hyman
peace out dude……i thought hippies werent around as much anymore?
evan, you were wrong! 130+ grateful dead shows in my past. hard to kick.
uh that’s cool but yeah… Why is anyone going to pay for something you can find free elsewhere? Especially if you can’t store any of the songs on your media devices.
There’s no way I am going to kill my phone’s battery life to STREAM music from outer space. Besides, how excessive is that? haha
I think this is brilliant. Adds value to the blogger relationship, gives them a resource for their post writing, and they’re quite likely to promote the service for all kinds of reasons. Give them a way to monetize it and you’ll be in great shape.
… You ARE giving them a way to share the wealth, aren’t you?
“Free Lifetime Pass” = Deadcrunch within 2yrs
monica, there is free music everywhere. it’s about ease of use, immediacy, and discovery features that are truly unmatched.
people buy downloads from itunes even though music is free because it’s easier. this is better than that!
if you are one to never pay because you can’t afford it, i can certainly understand. but if music is a big part of your life, why ghetto it via p2p and torrent? that experience blows.
likewise, our office has free coffee. but i buy blue bottle.
what is mog if its a social network like digg facebook ??
Nice chess move by MOG. That will be 800 happy music bloggers happily blogging about how great the new service is!
I would agree this is a clever move by MOG. I will certainly be taking them up on my invite.
I’m not quite sure why Spotify is the darling of the internet (and music bloggers) with what seems an awful lot like an unsustainable business model with most users just being free streamers and with current streaming fees and low ad rates there is no way they can be breaking even on them.
If this moves the playlists and streams being linked to by music bloggers from Spotify to MOG then they will certainly get some traction in the space. They do need a limited free option available to everyone though, maybe with ads and/or a limit to the amount of songs streamed in a session.
Tim:
Interesting thougths. But I think you forget that Spotify , aside from their free offer, also has the largest numbers of paying subscribers of any music service in Europe.
last, desperate gasp from yet-another-failure. $60/yr is about $50/yr more than the service is worth. david hyman can keep paying his mortgage with the funding, but MOG died a long time ago…