Google Has Finally Convinced Me to Create My Own Cloud
And here’s how you can do it too
As a superuser of Google goods and services, the last few months, like 2020 in general, has had me rethink how I approach my digital life. Of all the things I use my smartphones for, music and photos are near the top of that list. I’ve had a system that works, and recent changes by Google have forced me to reevaluate my options.
Requiem for Google Play Music
Back in 2013, Google introduced Google Play Music, a music streaming service with an incredibly ample library at launch. It also had an awesome trick up its sleeve in the form of a cloud music locker where users like me could store and stream all of our hoarded MP3 files for free. The promise was undeniably good and I didn’t even bat an eye before hopping on that gravy train.
It turned out, I quite liked what Google Play Music offered over the years. The music recommendation system was solid (before my kids were old enough to poison the well with their favorite JoJo Siwa tracks, that is.) The Songza-influenced curated playlists were easy to understand and often just what I was looking for when I was indecisive. A mid-life redesign brought new energy to the Android app I was so familiar with and kept me excited about the direction of the brand.
