Unlimited mobile music all the time from Gracenote and Omnifone

Mobile personal playlists are on their way from Gracenote and Omnifone. Combining Omnifone’s unlimited music service with Gracenote tech, music will have more portability than ever. Access to multi-million track libraries will be possible from mobile phones, desktop PCs, home entertainment systems and in-car stereos, with playlists seamlessly moving from device to device.

An example from the press release:

Users can create a comprehensive U2 playlist at home on their PC using a combination of their own collection and the unlimited music service, and start playing it in their living room.  Then, get in their car, and have it pick up where they left off.  Later, when they are at a club, they can search for music they are looking for, then download it and have it synched to all of their devices, and get recommendations for other music they might like based on genre or user generated recommendations. On each device, the most appropriate file format and user interface is presented to ensure the best possible user experience for that environment.

From the release:

“Omnifone’s partnership with Gracenote will make connected unlimited music services a reality in the living room, in the car, on mobile devices, and computers; everywhere we go our music collections, playlists, and recommendations will follow seamlessly, automatically and without wires. Historically, unlimited music service providers have focused on mobile and PC platforms, but consumers want access to music in the living room and the car, as much as the mobile and desktop computer,” said Rob Lewis, CEO of Omnifone. “This announcement means music lovers will soon have the freedom to access and consume unlimited music legally, across a wide range of device platforms, with the most appropriate user interface and file format for each device, synchronized automatically rather than having to side-load, back-up or rip compact discs.”

What we think?

This sounds like the iTunes Genius service on steroids. The vast discoverability of that service, combined with total mobility from device to device, is an extremely attractive proposition.