Download Squad tipped us off that the Ubuntu One Music app has been updated to support Apple’s new AirPlay streaming system. As such, it can now play music from your iOS device via any Apple TV or Airport Express unit on your network.
Ubuntu One is a cloud storage service from the vendor of the popular Linux distribution of the same name. Much like MobileMe and Dropbox, it allows the user to upload files to cloud servers and to synchronize personal information such as calendars, contact lists, and bookmarks — with support for Linux, Windows, and mobile devices.
Unlike the other services, however, Ubuntu One has a strong emphasis on music streaming. It has an integrated music store and allows users to supplant music purchases with uploads of their own music to their cloud space. Store-bought and uploaded files are both available for streaming back out.
The iOS app that was updated today is a client for receiving that streaming audio on your iOS devices, over WiFi or 3G connections. This differs from stream-music-from-home services like Simplify Media because it doesn’t rely on you having a computer at home powered up to stream the music from — the files come from the cloud.
There is a cost associated with using Ubuntu’s system. The service offers 2GB of basic storage for free, but mobile support is $4 a month / $40 per year (the app itself is free) and extra storage, in blocks of 20GB, is $3 per month / $30 per year. As such, Ubuntu One is probably only really interesting to people with lots of Ubuntu computers in their life.
Ubuntu One music streaming app updated with AirPlay support originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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