It requires network access at some point, but once you've got thousands of songs downloaded to your device, then you don't have to have any connection at all to

It requires network access at some point, but once you've got thousands of songs downloaded to your device, then you don't have to have any connection at all to listen. Google Music Play is not good if you a) can't afford $8/month, b) never have a network connection at all or c) don't have a device with 1GB-2GB of storage space available for your music. I'm guessing not using Google Play music for you is more than just a technical thing.