Paste mPlayer digital mag integrates music with reviews

Very interesting. Surfing the music blogs today, I came across and an ad for something called Paste Magazine, unbeknownst to me a leading print mag, award-winning, that went all digital after eight years of publication. Clicking took me to a subscription form, and since I’m in an exploratory mood, I pop for $2.99 per month. Here’s what I got.

It feels like an indie mag, as expected, and has columns, features, music reviews and film reviews. All presented digitally, and with a player running across the top above the content, so when you look at a music review, a song starts playing in their media player. Each song is downloadable, and you receive seven free MP3s every week, making the $2.99 worthwhile.

Home page for digimag Paste

Paste is also a web mag, and they are touting the Paste mPlayer as “the next evolution of music magazines.” Have we heard that before? Regardless of marketing, it felt like a nive evolutionary step, and I loved being able to hear a song from the CD reviewed. There seemed to be a mix of indie music featured, all very palatable when I clicked around to listen and read.

Paste mPlayer CD review

One review was of Gabriela y Rodriguez’s new album, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to them, and now may consider buying the tune (the whole song plays, so better than iTunes preview).

All in all, a very nice digital experience. Well-written, nicely presented. Music player works well, and video via YouTube opens into same player window.

One comment, it is impossible to find out much about the Paste staff or brand from within the mPlayer, unfortunately you have to go to website to see that info. And even then I still do not know who is the editor, and would have to click over to another site to find owner.