Imagine a free music app that allows one to download unlimited songs without taking up any storage on the phone — Trebel Music app, from M&M Music, developed a new system catered to students that allows them do exactly that.

Features of the Trebel Music app, such as virtual currency and trending campus charts, allow students to interact with music in a unique way.

Trebel lets the user connect to their college campus and see what is trending among their peers. Currently, the music trending at Colorado State University includes The Weeknd, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber. CSU was of a few universities chosen to help Trebel launch the app.

The Trebel model, according to Chief Executive Officer Gary Mekikian, uses advertisements to create revenue so students can listen and download music for free. The users of the app earn “virtual currency” by searching for and downloading music.

“This is an app that was designed and developed by young people for young people,” Mekikian said. “We’ve created a system where young people can have the music that they need to have when they can least afford it.”

While the user downloads music, an advertisement plays which generates the coins that can be then used to listen to music. This is a system that is unique to the Trebel app.

“It’s like a game,” Mekikian said. “So when you play Candy Crush, you earn points and you can use those points to buy virtual goods. In this case, the virtual good is music.”

With unlimited music, users can use the interface to instantly watch music videos correlating with the downloaded songs, while accessing lyrics.

“It’s kind of like Spotify in a way,” said junior sociology major Fahey Zink. “You can download your own music and setup your own playlists, but it connects more to a college campus base.”

According to Mekikian, the catalogue of music that Trebel presents to its users is growing steadily, and has reached to include underground and mainstream artists as well.

“I like the amount of music they have,” Zink said. “But as of right now, I’m so used to Spotify, but I feel like once I get a hold of using this I might switch.”

Some other students such as senior business major Maria Alcorn have a different outlook on the app.

“I think it’s a good concept,” Alcorn said. “But you have to watch ads for Trebel, and I don’t like watching ads. I feel like it’s a waste of my time.”

CSU students can download the app using the link www.trebel.io/dl, or connect with Trebel on Twitter and Instagram. 

Collegian Technology Reporter Megan Braa can be reached online at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @Megan_Braa.