Pure launches music subscription service

Pure launches music subscription service
Any internet-connected Pure radio can make use of Pure Music

Pure has unveiled a new music subscription service to rival the likes of Spotify and Deezer, called Pure Music.

The new service is available on PCs, Macs and smartphones but is also accessible on any Pure internet radio for only £4.99 a month.

It's a cloud-based service that claims access to over 15 million tracks using 7Digital's streaming engine.

Pure was keen to push the variety of music available, citing everything from Beyonce to The Village People, via Weird Al Yankovic, Ween classical music and some contemporary folk.

Recommendations

As well as searching for artists you're already familiar with, Pure wants you to discover new music via a recommendation and tagging engine.

It allows you to tag music playing on any Pure internet radio; this saves the track to your Pure Lounge account, so you can enjoy it again later online or explore that band's back catalogue. Of course, the obligatory social media sharing is also available and you can buy tracks through the service as well.

As well as Pure internet radios, Pure Music subscribers will be able to use a smartphone (free iPhone app is out now, Android to follow soon) as well as on PC and Mac using Pure's bespoke Lounge app.

The downside is that there is no caching service – so no offline playlists on your smartphone app, which explains the relatively low price tag compared to the likes of Spotify. Pure's representative did tell journalists at its UK launch that there is an "expectation to provide similar services at a similar price point [to Spotify]".

Pure Music's UK release date is slated for December 2011, and will set you back £4.99 a month.

News Editor (UK)

Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.