There’s no shortage of music available on the Web. But finding that music and easily playing it? Another story entirely. Just Hear It hopes to solve that problem by allowing users to search for tunes, play those songs, and create temporary playlists based on the results they find – all from a Web interface that’s simple and straightforward.
Using Just Hear It is as easy as typing in a search term and clicking on the results. And those results are pretty good. I tried a number of random artists and it managed to return results for all of them – save one obscure band from St. Louis, MO, USA, which no music service has ever been able to find.
What about the legal issues that torpedo these types of services, time and time again? Just Hear It claims to be paying for “licenses from all the major performing-rights organizations (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC).” Perhaps that proactive stance will save them future litigation.
While Just Hear It does a good job of finding music, the best part about the service is the playback – thanks to the attention to detail on the user interface. Drag and drop makes creating playlists a snap. And the player includes shuffle and repeat buttons – critical features of standard music software that are often strangely absent from Web-based search-and-play services.
That’s the good. On the downside, the service currently offers no downloads. So, even if you do find that track you’re seeking, you’re going to need to be on the Web to play it. And with a Flash-based interface, don’t expect to be bookmarking any of your favorite searches.
Just Hear It is currently in private beta. Users can search, play songs, and create playlists, but they will be unable to save those playlists unless they are selected to participate in the beta.
If you’re interested in playing some of those hard-to-find tunes you’ve been seeking, Just Hear It may allow you to do just that.
