If you’re the owner of a Fitbit Versa, Versa 2, or Ionic, you’ll shortly no longer be capable of transferring music from your computer to your Fitbit device.
Fitbit says it’s suspending its Fitbit Connect app, leaving you only two ways to download music to your widget: a paid subscription to either Pandora or Deezer. Fitbit will soon no longer allow you to transfer music from your PC.
Fitbit Connect is a partner app for Mac and Windows computers that permits you to sync fitness data between devices and share music to legacy Fitbit devices. However, Fitbit has gradually been phasing out the software in popularity of its mobile app, as it no extended recommends that users download it on its setup page.
But without access to Connect, there’s no way to download music to your Fitbit without a paid subscription to either Pandora or Deezer. On its support page, Fitbit says “you may be eligible for a 90-day trial” of either service, which will run you $9.99 / month for Deezer Premium or $4.99 / month for Pandora Plus once the trial’s over.
However, this change doesn’t impact newer Fitbit models, as they don’t offer the option to transfer files between your PC and Fitbit device. So if you own an older Fitbit that can store music, you’ll still get the key to the music files you hold on your Fitbit device. However, you won’t be able to download any additional songs without Pandora or Deezer past the October deadline.
Many users use their Fitbit devices to control the music they’re playing on their smartphone, whether streaming music through Spotify or listening to songs already downloaded on their phone. But still, having access to local music files can come in handy if you’re listening to music offline or want to use your Fitbit without your smartphone.
While Fitbit doesn’t explain why it’s getting rid of Fitbit Connect, there’s possibly not enough demand to keep the service up and to run.
Pandora is a subscription-based music streaming service possessed by Sirius XM Holdings established in Oakland, California, United States. The service focuses on recommendations based on the “Music Genome Project” — classifying individual songs by musical traits.
The service was initially launched in the consumer market as an internet radio assistance, which would render personalized channels based on these traits and songs liked by the user; this service is open in an advertising-supported tier and a subscription-based version. In 2017, the service pitched Pandora Premium, an on-demand version of the service more in line with current competitors.
The company was established in 2000 as Savage Beast Technologies and initially designed as a business-to-business company licensing the Music Genome Project to traders as a recommendation platform. However, in 2005, the company shifted its focus to the consumer market by pitching Pandora as an internet radio product.
Pandora is freemium assistance; basic features are free with advertisements or limitations. Additional features like enhanced streaming quality, music downloads, and offline channels are delivered thru paid subscriptions.
In February 2019, Sirius XM Holdings obtained Pandora for $3.5 Bn in stock. In 2021, Pandora had about 55.9 Mn active monthly users and 6.4 million subscribers.
Initially, users with free accounts could attend to 40 hours of music a month and could spend $0.99 per month for unlimited streaming. In September 2011, Pandora released the 40-hour listening limit. This 40-hour limit on free listening was re-introduced in March 2013 for mobile devices. However, this limit was released in September of the same year.
In September 2016, a rewinding process was introduced, allowing users to replay a song. In addition, the updated streaming service also authorized users to skip an unidentified number of extra songs per hour if they opted to oversee an ad. Previously, users were only able to cut six pieces in an hour.
Deezer is French music streaming online service. It lets users listen to music content from record labels and podcasts on different devices, online or offline.
Created in Paris, Deezer currently has 90 million licensed tracks in its library, with over 30,000 radio channels, 100 million playlists, 16 million monthly active users, and 7 million subscribers as of January 2019.
The service is obtainable for Web, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry OS, Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS.
In 2006, Daniel Marhely designed the first version of Deezer, Blogmusik, in Paris. His vision was to give unlimited access to music enthusiasts through streaming technology.
In its original manifestation, the site was charged with copyright infringement by French agency SACEM and shut down in April 2007. However, it was relaunched as Deezer in August 2007, agreeing with SACEM to pay copyright holders revenue from advertising on the site and by allowing users to download songs streamed on Deezer from iTunes, with Deezer receiving a commission from each purchase.