U2 Introduces Mobile Album for BlackBerry

U2 and RIM (Research in Motion) have great news for digital music fans who miss the visual experience that came with music albums—the U2 Mobile Album, a new mobile application for BlackBerry smartphones that brings back the album experience for the digital age. Developed in collaboration with the band (duh), the new U2 Mobile Album brings a visual experience with evolving content and an interactive dimension for the band’s current album No Line On The Horizon.

U2 Mobile Album for BlackBerry smartphones / Image: Zuma Press

The U2 Mobile Album reintroduces a wealth of material that was the norm for CD releases, which included photos and other information that brought the listener closer, and gave a fuller picture of the artist’s world. In the digital age, these elements have eroded to a pick-list selection and a keyhole snapshot of visual content. The BlackBerry platform, supporting advanced multimedia features, push-based wireless connectivity and social interactivity, offers a very powerful platform to support a new type of album experience for mobile users.

Here are the highlights/sales pitch:

• Get inside the album with access to songs from No Line On The Horizon with images, lyrics, interviews and videos.
• Upload photos and create original, origami-style photo displays inspired by the music.
• Access dynamic news feeds from U2.com and receive alerts when new content is available.
• Track the tour as the band moves across the globe – see where they’re going and where they’ve been.
• Tap into the “Who’s Listening” section and see when and where other users are listening to the album (coming soon).

I don’t really think the end product lives up to the hype (but as you can see, there is more to come). For instance, you don’t get full songs—just snippets with the option to buy. You can go through each song on the album and explore the song itself, as well as videos and interviews. Careful with the big videos—my Tour froze a couple times when I tried to bail early by hitting the back button. The News section proved somewhat worthless as today’s item (”Mixing it up Again”) was unavailable. Otherwise, everything seemed to be working ok. The Gallery is pretty cool—lots of live pics. And the 360 Tour section is actually pretty handy when you’re trying to find out where the band is playing.

The U2 Mobile Album is probably a must for diehard U2 fans. Otherwise, you’re not going to get too excited about this. Check it out for free on BlackBerry App World and from www.blackberry.com/u2.