Uncarrier 6: Streaming music doesn't count against your high speed data tier

[Bigballer]

So, using your math, if I listen to Pandora roughly 17 hours in a month (less than an hour a day), my entire 1GB high speed data allowance would be used up, and my other apps would crawl. Now, it doesn't matter. I definitely don't mind being able to save $10 a month (which I might have to do if this didn't become reality).

Let me also point out that you are harping on Pandora as if it is the only streaming service T-Mobile is supporting. Just his morning during my trip to the gym, in the gym, and then my trip to work, I consumed roughly 100 MB of streaming music over about 1.5 hours of listening, using Spotify and iHeartRadio. None of it counted against my T-mobile high speed data cap.

Yes, Pandora streams in fairly low quality - both for their own bottom line and for the sake of their user's data charges. But to assume that all streaming music is Pandora is a mistake. Even though Pandora absolutely dominates the streaming market, it still accounts for less than a third of total streaming music.

Most streaming apps are 128 kb, a few being 256. None are 384. Only 384 streaming app I can think of is "my stored" music on Google Play.

I agree, the true beauty is it doesn't count towards your data cap. Most streaming apps will work throttled, but not going against your data cap is where it helps the most.

Now I wonder if Speedtest counts against my data cap.....

 

[bryanus]

I think you answered your own question as you can stream quickly with TuneIn Radio it is not being throttled but Play and Prime music is.

Yes, perhaps I did. Can anyone else confirm other services that appear to be unofficially supported?

The music will run at full speed.

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Sweet!

 

[yfan]

Most streaming apps are 128 kb, a few being 256. None are 384. Only 384 streaming app I can think of is "my stored" music on Google Play.

You're right about that.

Now I wonder if Speedtest counts against my data cap.....

Nope. T-Mobile Whitelisting OOKLA Speedtest App So it doesn't count Towards Your Data Cap | Androidheadlines.com

 

[Bigballer]

You're right about that.


Nope. T-Mobile Whitelisting OOKLA Speedtest App So it doesn't count Towards Your Data Cap | Androidheadlines.com

Sweeet.

Speedtest can eat a lot of data. The faster the network, the more data it'll eat. Now I can run speedtest wherever! Now I hope chicagos next in line for wideband lte. Doing a speedtest of 150 mbps can really eat a huge chunk of data quick.

 

[tonyr6]

Great they whitelisted the Speedtest app. I use it only for tests even paid the $1 to get rid of the annoying ads.

 

[raptir]

I've done some basic testing with TuneInRadio. I've been streaming for a couple hours over cellular yesterday and this morning and my data usage is not showing any increase.

Also, I am already over my data usage limit of 1GB, so I don't know if my results would be any different if I wasn't already being throttled.

What I find interesting is that TuneInRadio is able to start streaming quickly, but I am just crawling when trying to get Google Play or Amazon Prime to start a stream. Maybe TuneIn made the unofficial cut?

Question: If I reach my data limit and am being throttled, does music streaming also get throttled, or are the supported services whitelisted and run at unthrottled speeds?

Play Music and Prime Music both use high quality streams. Most online radio (that TuneIn pulls) is pretty low quality. It is possible that the lower quality stream just works well on the throttled data, but if you're saying it isn't showing up in the data usage then that's a different story.

 

[bryanus]

Play Music and Prime Music both use high quality streams. Most online radio (that TuneIn pulls) is pretty low quality. It is possible that the lower quality stream just works well on the throttled data, but if you're saying it isn't showing up in the data usage then that's a different story.

According to Data Usage, I've used 284Mbs of TuneInRadio over the last few days, and none of that has been reflected in my T-Mobile MyAccount lookup. I am finding that initial buffering is quick sometimes, and slow (throttles-like) at others. Usually when I'm throttled, though, I am constantly buffering my stream, but I haven't experienced that at all since the announcement.

 

[tonyr6]

I am so glad DI.FM, SKY.FM and AOL Radio does not count towards my usage. I listened to them all day in the doctors office and I only pulled in about 4mb just checking my data usage in Chrome.

 

[Bigballer]

You're right about that.


Nope. T-Mobile Whitelisting OOKLA Speedtest App So it doesn't count Towards Your Data Cap | Androidheadlines.com

Confirmed.

T-Mobile confirms speed-test apps exempt from data allowances | TmoNewsTmoNews

I wonder what the "others" include. Sensorly has been already included for a while now

 

[BizzyGeek]

Is T-Mobile planning to hose All Access subscribers? It was winning the vote by a long shot but no word on any additions to Music Freedom. Thoughts?

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Almeuit]

Is T-Mobile planning to hose All Access subscribers? It was winning the vote by a long shot but no word on any additions to Music Freedom. Thoughts?

Posted via Android Central App

I am betting they will announce something soon.

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[zorak950]

They said it would take a few weeks to add. It's possible they're running into problems that will delay it, but there's no way they won't follow through: it would be an unmitigated PR disaster.

 

[fierro951]

Any update on Google Play Music being added?

 

[Almeuit]

Any update on Google Play Music being added?

I haven't seen anything yet.

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[fierro951]

I haven't seen anything yet.

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Mannn... I used 2.5 of my 3 gigs on music

 

[Almeuit]

Mannn... I used 2.5 of my 3 gigs on music

Yeah they need to add it already.

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[tonyr6]

Tune in radio does count towards my usage. I listened to soma FM last night for a few minutes and used about 4 MB of data. I checked it on my phone and it was around 4 MB.

Of course I also after was streaming DI.FM using its app for nearly a hour and it did not count.

I guess tune in will only be used on Wifi then.

 

[Almeuit]

Tune in radio does count towards my usage. I listened to soma FM last night for a few minutes and used about 4 MB of data. I checked it on my phone and it was around 4 MB.

Of course I also after was streaming DI.FM using its app for nearly a hour and it did not count.

I guess tune in will only be used on Wifi then.

The phone will always show the usage... It's the T-Mobile system that won't (on your account).

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[tonyr6]

Nope my account on tmobile website shows I used 4 MB of data for TuneIn just like the phone. DI shows on the phone I used 31 MB but on the website not one byte counted.

 

[Almeuit]

Nope my account on tmobile website shows I used 4 MB of data for TuneIn just like the phone. DI shows on the phone I used 31 MB but on the website not one byte counted.

Ah yeah it's iTunes and iHeart radio that don't count. Tune in isn't under the music freedom.

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