Imeem picks Android, not iPhone, for mobile app

Music service Imeem has released its first mobile application--and it's not for the iPhone. The application is designed for Google's Android operating system, first launching on T-Mobile USA's G1 handset.

The free app, which will be available through the Android Market, doesn't let users stream music on-demand. But they can create customized radio stations, check out recommendations, and buy music from Amazon.com's MP3 service. Because the application is connected to PC-based Imeem accounts, users can see mobile changes they've made, such as marking an artist as a "favorite," reflected on their Web-based profile. Right now, the only revenue stream is from affiliate sales with Amazon MP3, but executives say that will change eventually.

Pick your favorites on the G1 handset's Imeem app.

(Credit: Imeem)

"It's the first time we've ever had a mobile version of Imeem, which is pretty exciting for us," Matt Graves, vice president of marketing, told CNET News. "It opens up an entirely new market for us, a new demographic, and a new market of people who may not have been exposed to Imeem before."

He said there wasn't a particular reason why Imeem chose the Android Market over Apple's App Store, currently the hot spot for mobile applications.

"I don't think it was Android over the iPhone. We are interested in reaching mobile consumers," Graves said. "It seemed like a good opportunity for us and a good platform."

While Imeem has "nothing to announce just yet" about an iPhone app, Graves wouldn't rule out the possibility of developing one.

Here's the other news from Imeem: it is not jumping on the Silicon Valley layoff bandwagon, or at least that's what Graves said.

"We started being conservative before it was apparent in the market that you had to be," he explained, adding that the company will have "no layoffs."

That's good news for Imeem, considering that some other companies in the digital-music space are suffering. Cash-strapped Web radio start-up Pandora, which has blamed the royalty fees for online streaming, let go of 20 employees on Friday.

"I can't really speak to Pandora's business," Graves said, "(but) the DMCA radio rates are reasonable, I think. I think that we've got a pretty varied set of revenue streams."

[David Dudley]

If you believe the numbers T-Mobile is touting, then in theory, iMeem would have decent market penetration possibilities. But, there are insides coming forth who've stated that 1.5 million was simply smoke and mirrors from T-Mobile which seems the likely scenario. Let's instead do the math that T-Mobile plans to order 1.5 million handsets from HTC over a year long period which seems more likely, and let's venture a guess that approximately 10% of the total Android adopters decide to download the iMeem application, with another 50% deciding to actually use it more than once and out of those, maybe 10% actually purchase songs from Amazon, generating money for iMeem - approximately 7,500 users generating potential revenue. Of course, we have no idea how many times these users will purchase songs and generate revenue for iMeem and since I lack access to their data warehouse (assuming they have one), I won't even bother to guess user behavior. Why did iMeem not develop an app for the iPhone? Simple! They have no way to monetize it as they are doing a simple Amazon affiliate play and they have no deal signed with Apple.

[rapier1]

I think you are missing the point. By developing for Android they're gaining access to an entire range of phones - not a single T-mobile phone. There is every chance they'll have access to a much larger market than they would have had on iPhone - not at the moment of course, but only an idiot has a strategy based on where things are at the moment. Could this be monetized? Sure, but my guess is that they're using this more as a draw to get more people onto imeem.com and to stake out a position.

[sting7k]

Yaaaawn, I will never understand why anyone wants/needs to stream radio stations when you have a device filled with thousands of songs. Radio is dying, no one cares about it anymore, let it go.

[jazzmandan]

I do - because I listen to all sorts of music and artists I don't own, can't afford and don't have the time to discover, buy and rip.

But then I have a 3g network pretty much everywhere I go in a given 4 month period.

[forensicmeteoboy]

Radio isn't dead for me. I listen to a member-support alternative radio station that streams on the web and over the air. I have a tiny collection of music- but it's not because I don't like a number of artists, it's simply because I don't have the time or money to buy music. I have no use for an iPod- I have no time for it. I'm a busy college student. I'll let the DJs who love music and know it well to make a better mix than any machine could. I hate commercial radio, by the way. And I can see why it's easy for most people to just get an iPod or whatever- because they only listen to the same 500 songs or so. Trust me- I see it everywhere on my campus.

[jazzmandan]

Can't see much point in this if it doesn't stream? I suspect not putting it on the iPhone is smart because it would be compared unfavorably to Pandora and Last.fm applications.

[iConquered]

I would not be so swift in any declaration about the sepulchral state of the radio. I do agree to an extent. I found the inclusion of an FM tuner on the Zune, to be rather unimportant. After all, you are carrying a device designed to play the music you want, so you can avoid commercials and scouring stations for enjoyable songs. However, in general, the radio still provides mass exposure for quite a few bands.

It is true that the radio has adhered to standards with greater frequency, as of late (especially with the popularity of Rock Band and Guitar Hero). Despite this however, there are occasional new bands that appear on the radio. I do believe that the way users experience radio, will change very soon, but it will not entirely die off. I see radio being replaced by things like Pandora, LastFM and iMeem.

Not everyone is brave enough to buy an album without hearing it first. In fact, I am the only person I have known, to do such a thing. I purchased an album from The Fall of Troy (their first album) based entirely on their track list names and the band name. I lucked out, but serendipity of that sort is a rarity. People need exposure to new music some how. And I doubt that most of the public enjoys reading Skyscraper, like I do. Radio is changing, not dying.