Here at Critical Hit, we’re big fans of music streaming services like Spotify, Spotify, Spotify and Spotify (What do you mean there are others?). Of course, there are many other services available locally – including Google Play Music, Apple Music, Deezer and Simfy.
Now, Simfy has teamed up with MTN to launch a new time-based music subscription service that shakes things up a little. It’s perfect for people who can’t afford, or don’t want to pony up for a monthly subscription and instead wish to just listen to a little bit of music, for a little bit of money (without resorting to piracy or using excessive data for YouTube videos).
MTN’s new MusicTime! service is available in 120 minutes for just R5 or 300 minutes of listening for just R10. Purchases are valid for a week, and the deal includes the necessary data to stream, too. Prepaid users can pay for the thing using their airtime. Those who download the new MusicTime! app get 60 minutes of free listening, with no ads or interruptions.
According to MTN, the catalogue is vast with “millions of tracks” available to listen to with “no hidden data costs, advertisements or other interruptions.”
“We have worked hard in getting this breakthrough model to our customers,” says MTN’s executive for corporate affairs Jacqui O’Sullivan. “Data costs and the high costs of the top end music streaming products mean that the majority of our customers don’t have an affordable option for digital music and Simfy Africa came with the solution we were looking for. The way MusicTime! works means our customers can be amongst the first to listen to premium local and international tracks from the latest albums as they launch globally for only R5, with data included.”
For the local market, this seems like a fantastic product that eschews the need for recurring subscriptions. People can listen to the music they want to, when they want to without paying very much for it at all.
Last Updated: December 6, 2018
Captain JJ
December 6, 2018 at 13:32
Cool as it is, I’m quite happy with Spotify at the moment and that sub is already a steal.
RinceThis
December 6, 2018 at 12:45
pretty cool
Captain JJ
December 6, 2018 at 13:32
Cool as it is, I’m quite happy with Spotify at the moment and that sub is already a steal.
Ir0nseraph
December 6, 2018 at 15:09
All I need is Spotify, but this might be perfect for my Mom that just wants to listen music when Eskom strikes.
Pariah
December 6, 2018 at 16:20
Spotify just gave me my year in review stats. 3080 different songs listened to.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b61d4d15a6c67c00131c6f37a2e2be58ccfaba070b25b252d56a348bb88a838c.png
Kromas
December 6, 2018 at 13:39
Local music I bet won’t include sokkie sokkie.
Geoffrey Tim
December 6, 2018 at 15:15
I think you’re wrong. there’s plenty of afrikaans music (of all sorts) on simfy, Deezer and Rdio.
Kromas
December 6, 2018 at 15:19
Was trolling.
Gavin Mannion
December 6, 2018 at 15:50
Trolling failed
HvR
December 6, 2018 at 15:55
Failed harder than a Dirk van der Westhuizen music video
Spathi
December 6, 2018 at 13:50
Sjo, with the data costs included, this really is a good deal.
Gr8_Balls_o_Fire
December 6, 2018 at 14:24
Yes, lets enable more and more people to waste their time and money on music streaming instead of reading.
Geoffrey Tim
December 6, 2018 at 14:53
That’s a super weird take, dude. Beyond the fact that music is awesome, people can do more than one thing. subscribing to a music service doesn’t make it so that people can no longer read. I write, read, play video games, watch other media and listen to music. It’s possible to do all of these things, I promise.
Gr8_Balls_o_Fire
December 12, 2018 at 09:29
I’m sorry. I’m unable to comprehend doing more than one thing at a time. I’m stupid ok 🙁
Gavin Mannion
December 6, 2018 at 17:56
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d7203630d33018e3e73e3ce8a1db735bcb77a693b5201bf5ee802be6fb3820d6.jpg
HvR
December 6, 2018 at 15:29
Seeing how well CellC very similar Black deals are doing for video streaming this is a good move from them. It opens up the whole informal and lower income market to them. Actually surprised CellC didn;t think of this first.
I will stick to Spotify but then I’m not the target market.