“The uSirius StarPlayr app for Apple’s iPhone, which has been in development since last year, apparently won’t hit the market anytime soon,” Rick Aristotle Munarriz reports for The Motley Fool. “‘As of yesterday, the uSirius StarPlayr Application for iPhone still had a status of In Review with Apple,’ explains app developer NiceMac on its site. ‘Late last night, we became aware that the application could not be approved at this time.'”
Munarriz wonders, “Why did Apple nix the program, which would allow existing Sirius and XM subscribers to stream the satellite radio provider’s online channels? …And if Apple’s not to blame, could the intereference here come from Sirius itself?”
“The iPhone is no stranger to Internet radio. Some of its more popular free offerings include Pandora, Slacker, CBS’ Last.fm, and Time Warner’s AOL Music,” Munarriz explains. “One can argue that Sirius XM doesn’t want to be lumped in with entirely free content. Before the merger, XM and Sirius were striking deals with wireless carriers for premium streaming services… In other words, Sirius XM sees smartphones as another revenue stream, instead of a retention tool… In short, Sirius XM’s strategy is wrong, cocky, and a recipe for disaster.”
Munarriz writes, “Sirius needs to realize that it’s better off tearing down barriers, not building them… Instead of a walled garden, Sirius XM should be building brand equity in its proprietary channels by inviting free exposure. It can cash in on referrals for digital downloads through Apple, concert ticket sales through Live Nation, and online ads. And even if the company doesn’t want to spend time and effort on such a strategy, why not let third-party developers do the heavy lifting?”
Munarriz asks, “So what’s the deal, Sirius XM? Are you the one holding up an anticipated app that would help further your cause?”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: NiceMac’s press release on the matter, verbatim:
NiceMac is made up of 4 members all of which have always been die-hard fans of Sirius and XM. Over the years we have individually contributed to the ad-hoc player offerings available for Sirius XM internet content. Last year, we all had the fortune of crossing paths at which time we decided to band together and focus on helping deliver Sirius XM content to subscribers everywhere and anywhere.
Update: As of yesterday, the uSirius StarPlayr Application for iPhone still had a status of “In Review” with Apple. Later in the evening we became aware that the application was not rejected, however could not be approved at this time.
As fans, we are committed to continuing to work with all parties involved as necessary in any capacity required to see this product to market. It is our goal, as it has always been, to release this application at as low of a price point as possible, if not free of charge.
We thank all of our supporters and users of our current offerings, as well as those who have been patiently waiting and Beta testing while we work to bring uSirius StarPlayr for iPhone to market.
Sincerely,
The NiceMac Team
StarPlayr for iPhone after being away for 10 years has returned and an early public beta is now available: https://t.co/ty6JFgAYP4 The new app is made by the original founder of NiceMac, and its new name is StarPlayrX. The app is at its very early stages with being under development for less than three weeks. New betas are released every other week.