Industry coverage, news, original feature articles, how to guides, videos, podcasts and reviews of BlackBerry service providers, software, accessories, hosted exchange providers and more

What I’ve increasingly noticed on NYC subway commutes is people listening to music on their BlackBerrys. I’ve even thought about the notion myself. Why carry around two decently bulky devices — BlackBerry and an iPod — when you can get some of the latter’s service from the former? Plus, you don’t waste time flipping through a vast iPod library. Since BlackBerry supports up to 4 GB of microSD expansion, you’re kind of limited as to what you can carry. Meledeo, an online music and media company, is trying to make things even easier for you to listen to music on your BlackBerry. They’re launching a service called nyTsie, and it sounds rather enticing.

Here’s the deal. You sign up for the service — which will be available via mobile.blackberry.com and the Built for BlackBerry website — and you’ll be able to listen to your iTunes music library “in hi-fi quality” on your BlackBerry. I’m not clear on the details now, though I’m hoping to clear things up in the near future. It sounds, though, like a Slingbox kind of device, where it picks up the files from your PC and wirelessly transmits them to your BlackBerry.

“nuTsie allows our partners to leverage the high consumer demand for mobile music, as well as the popularity and existing consumer investment in iTunes,” said Jeff Bartee, Director of Sales & Business Development for Melodeo, Inc. “We’re excited to bring this product to the BlackBerry platform and we look forward to the commercial launch this spring.”

I see great opportunity in this: The service claims to allow for users to browse others’ playlists and share music with their friends. This seems like an ideal medium to spread the arts. The ability to browse others’ music means that more and more artists can become discovered in ways previously unimaginable. It gives greater power to word of mouth, and can help bring better music to the forefront of the industry.

However, this seems like something the RIAA will attack. According to them, you can’t share music. If you want to listen to it, you have to buy it yourself. Which is completely counterproductive, but that’s an argument unto itself. Hopefully, nuTsie can stay out of the RIAA’s sight-line for a while so this service can spread.

[CNN Money]

 Subscribe to the BBGeeks RSS Feed
Share on Facebook | Add to De.licio.us | Digg This! | Technorati