Purdue computer science major launches cloud music service app

April 16, 2015  


Park tunr

Tunr is a cloud music service created by Purdue senior Hayden McAfee that allows users to maintain ownership of their own music library while enjoying the flexibility of a cloud-streaming service. The company's app launched last week on the Windows app store and tunr.io and provides unlimited storage with a paid subscription. (Photo provided)
Download Photo

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A Purdue University student has launched Tunr, a cloud music service that allows users to maintain ownership of their own music library and also enjoy the flexibility of a cloud-streaming service.

Hayden McAfee, a senior in Purdue's Department of Computer Science, started working on the service in high school when he saw a need to access music from multiple devices.

"I had a huge collection of music, but I couldn't bring it with me everywhere because portable storage was really expensive," he said. "As time went on subscription streaming services became mainstream, but even at a cost they are still unable to match the security of owning your music files across multiple devices."

Tunr allows users to manage their own music library and maintain ownership of their files on multiple devices. The company launched its Windows app, which provides up to five gigabytes of storage, late last week. Currently it's free and available through the Windows app store and on its Web platform at tunr.io. Tunr also offers unlimited storage with a paid subscription. The company aims to expand to iOS and Android in the future.

"Tunr keeps a copy of the user's music library in the cloud, syncing it between multiple devices and live-transcoding tracks that can't be played on certain devices," McAfee said. "Our Web interface allows up-to-date library access from anywhere, keeping the user's library intact in its original format."

Tunr users download a program that syncs all music files on their computer to the cloud service without any alteration to the files.

"There are a lot of music services online that let you rent or lease your music, paying for a subscription to get access to their library of music. These services don't let you burn a CD or bring your music files with you," McAfee said. "They also limit users' access to their own files by downloading a compressed copy that could lead to quality loss. Tunr won't alter files in any way because we value the integrity of our users' music files and want to provide a secure service."

Tunr was one of the five finalists for the Boiler Mini-Accelerator Competition, or "Boiler," and has been receiving help through the Anvil, a community co-working space at Purdue.

"The Boiler and the Anvil have been a huge help throughout this competition, connecting me with local and nationwide mentors, working with other Boiler teams and providing some funding," McAfee said. "I have been an Anvil member since it began and it has been instrumental in helping me go through all the steps in setting up a successful official startup.

"We hope to attract a lot of users with the launch of our Windows app and with the feedback we gain from them, we can look into adding developers to our team to determine what platforms and features to go after next."

About Tunr

Tunr provides a service where users can maintain ownership of their own music library, while enjoying the flexibility of a cloud streaming service. Tunr keeps a copy a user's library in the cloud, syncing it between multiple devices, and live-transcoding tracks that can't be played on certain devices. A fast and fluid Web interface allows up-to-date library access from anywhere, and native apps allow for both online and offline listening on the go, along with synchronized playlists and statistics. The user's library is always intact in its original format, so they can have peace of mind that their music files are always accessible.

About the Anvil

The Anvil is a co-working space at Purdue University that serves the unique needs of students, acting as a center for creative culture in West Lafayette. The Anvil focuses on providing local and student run startups affordable office space 

Writer: Hillary Henry, Purdue Research Foundation 

Purdue Research Foundation contact: Steve Martin, 765-588-3342, sgmartin@prf.org 

Source:  Hayden McAfee, 847-987-8434, hayden@tunr.io 

Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, (765) 494-4600

© 2014-18 Purdue University | An equal access/equal opportunity university | Integrity Statement | Copyright Complaints | Brand Toolkit | Maintained by Marketing and Media

Trouble with this page? Disability-related accessibility issue? Please contact us at online@purdue.edu so we can help.