Music in the Clouds

As I've explained in last week's summation post, working on a three-year-old laptop is, in many ways, like using this CloudBook. Similar, but not the same. My old Vaio is bigger. It's heavier. It doesn't hold a charge. It's much, much slower. Oh yeah, and it has a hard drive.

Being a freelance writer - which means a microscopic budget - and owning such an old computer has meant some creative solutions to common computing problems. In fact, it is the road to cheap and practical solutions that has led me to the clouds. It has also meant that it has been a natural shift to this new CloudBook.

The one thing that I was worried about was a very specific production application.

No, I wasn't worried about calendar integration, task lists, and project collaboration. I've figured out solutions to those a long time ago. I was worried about the one vital production application that, on my Vaio, still runs on native software.

In the clouds, how can I listen to my music?

At my old computer I would be rhythmically pounding away at my keyboard while listening to a very tailored, eclectic mix of funky beats. Sometimes this music is merely a soundtrack to the creativity flowing from by fingertips. Sometimes this music is the thin, harmonious line between creative drought and writer's block.

Whatever its role, my music has always been provided by iTunes. My choice of iTunes wasn't one made without a few comprimises, first and formost being the compromise in computer performance. In fact, when iTunes was running, it was the program that required the most system resources. iTunes doesn't exist in the clouds, so even with our love/hate relationship, I didn't know what app I was going to be able to switch to.

"But what about streaming radio?" you might ask. "What about it?" I would respond. It's fun and it works for a lot of filler music situations. However, even when I try to "create" a radio station (where you tell the program your favorite bands or genres or beer or underwear preference and it constructs what it thinks you want to hear) you don't get your music. Some of the songs might be the same. Some of the music might sound great. You might get turned on to a band that you'v never heard before and they become your favorite band.

As neat of an experience that may be, those streaming radio stations don't play my music. And that's what iTunes would do. On my CloudBook I thought I was doomed to streaming radio. That is until I discovered Grooveshark.

A sample of my music ready for streaming.

While cruising through Chrome's web app store (what I do when I'm bored - or procrastinating) I discovered this streaming music service that mentioned something about uploading songs. As I free app I figured trying it on wouldn't hurt. Not only could you upload your songs (which I did from my old Vaio), you can share, search and make playlists. While streaming music does have a tendency to glitch out, I'd say the reliability is about as consistent with iTunes.

Grooveshark is my new favorite cloud app. It provides that key ingredient that makes getting work done in the clouds possible.

- Captain B.