iOS Download mp3's (legally!) from a web server

[LoopLoop]

I'm hoping to write an app for a music website

http://www.tentracks.co.uk/

And I basically want the app to do the exact same thing as the site, just in a neat, mobile style. I'm basically just getting started on developing, and one thing I'm struggling to know where to start is in downloading the mp3s that this site offers to its customers.

I know that you cant download files straight into the iTunes library, but surely there must be a way of downloading files somewhere, and accessing them through your desktop computer?

I don't want the app to only work on Jailbroken devices.

Can anyone give any suggestions please??

Thanks

MikeB

 

[dejo]

First, do you work for tentracks or have permission to use their content?

Second, make sure you have reviewed the iPhone Developer Agreement, especially in terms of cellular network abuse.

Third, what's with the reference to "accessing them through your desktop computer"? Is this a mobile app that plays the songs on the device? Or something else?

 

[LoopLoop]

1. Yes, I do work for them in that I've spoken to the owner of the organization and he has asked me to build an app for him. I am currently investigating what is / isn't possible.

2. I'll have a look at that agreement - thanks for the tip.

3. What I mean by "accessing them through your desktop computer" is that the whole point of the website is a means for downloading music from local labels / independent musicians. You pay £1 and get 10 tracks. The ideal app would allow you to do exactly this, ie download the tracks to your iPhone/Pod, and then when you plug the device into your computer copy them across, into your music library, or whatever.

The app should also be able to play the songs on the device straight away.

I know I'm new to this, and probably asking some obvious questions, but the whole process of transferring files from the site's server, saving them and then accessing them later is what I'm unsure about.

Thanks for your help

 

[fishkorp]

You can setup the app so that it has a local server running on it, accessible over WiFi, to transfer the songs from the app to a desktop computer. Other apps do this with backup files or storage.

However, there's a chance Apple will reject the app if you allow buying music in it, since it competes with iTunes and may be considered "duplicating functionality." Rhapsody lets you store/stream, but not "buy" the music. The only way is maybe if buying the songs is an in-app purchase, as opposed to going through something like PayPal. Are there any apps out there currently that sell MP3s outside of iTunes?

 

[LoopLoop]

Hmmm, cheers for the advice, sounds like what I want to do could come up against apple's rule book, anyone else shed any light on the matter?

Is Itunes the only way to buy music on an iPhone?

 

[PhoneyDeveloper]

I don't know about the legalities or about competing with iTunes.

What you could do is to have your app sync with an app that runs on the desktop computer. Users would purchase their music on their desktop computer and then you could implement direct syncing with your app on the phone and your app on the computer.

However, I'm not sure I see the difference with that and having the user import their music from the site into iTunes on their computer and then sync that with their device. This kind of syncing already works, of course.