As Samsung readies its Galaxy S III handset for launch, the OEM giant has released Music Hub, an integrated music service for its mobile devices, in Europe. The service, which will be initially available on the S III, is based on technology from mSpot, which was recently acquired by Samsung.

“We believe that today’s mobile market must have an open mobile music system – one that offers all kinds of services across different devices,” says mSpot CEO Daren Tsui. “Music Hub removes all the barriers to your music.”

Music Hub will be available in two versions, free and premium. As well as the Hub Store, a library of purchasable music, users who pay a monthly subscription – of £9.99 in the UK – can upload their digital music collection to be accessed from the cloud. The service will also feature personalised radio and recommendations functionality, though its currently unclear whether these will be paid features.

However, Giles Cottle, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media, thinks Samsungs lack of true convergence between its mobile and TV OS might be the downfall of this latest offering. “iTunes has been a pillar on which Apple’s content and devices empire has been built. So it’s little surprise that Samsung, the world’s largest TV manufacturer and Apple’s chief contender in the mobile market, would want to follow suit,” says Cottle. “Yet where Apple is leagues ahead of all its competitors is in the quality of experience it offers across all of its devices, and how well those devices work together. Without such a cross-device experience, Music Hub will simply be another paid-subscription and cloud music service in a market that is already starting to feel more than a little crowded.”