Streaming melody but unique

Dubai: Websites that stream music are pretty ubiquitous, but JogPlay.com offers something, dare I say it, unique.

The music which this website streams is your own.

That sounds a little silly at first, but for anyone who doesn't keep their music library on them via an MP3 player or a laptop, the site makes it possible to listen to your music from any computer with an internet connection.

Since the music is streamed instead of downloaded and, presumable, already paid for, there are no piracy issues here.

The technology behind it is pretty simple. You download an application, called a Base Station, to your home computer, which you leave running in the background.

When you get to another computer, you simply log into your JogPlay account. The software then streams the music from your home computer back to you. The software is Java-based and should run on any computer.

One of my first concerns was security, but the site claims the software doesn't leave open ports, so there's no getting access to your computer through a backdoor.

For the hardcore geeks out there, this site isn't going to do much for you. I keep my music loaded on my laptop and an iPod, so the need to stream my music is limited.

I have also yet to find an internet connection in the UAE with sufficient bandwidth to make listening to the music a smooth and enjoyable experience, although I've only tried the site with two computers so far.

But to JogPlay's credit, the site does offer an excellent selection of music. That's because it's mine. I don't have to dig through lists of garage to find a tiny fraction of the music I like. The JogPlay does have a small library of music of its own for the public to listen to.

The site also compares what you have in your playlists with sites such as YouTube and Amazon, so you can view related video or check out related music. There is, of course, the ever-present link to a store that will happily sell you more music.