iTunes to Offer Social Music Discovery with Ping
With 160 million users in 23 countries, it’s hard to argue when Apple says iTunes is the number one music community in the world. But until now, Apple hasn’t tried to give these users a way to connect and share what they’re finding in the massive store. Sure, we could always “tell a friend” or share finds on Facebook, but today’s announcement of iTunes 10 and the Ping social network could be the start of something big.
From the screenshots we’ve seen so far, it looks to borrow heavily from other social networks. Users can follow artists, become friends with each other, establish a “circle” of friends, and follow all relevant updates posted by their favorite artists . . . We know that social networks can catch on, but the question is whether there is room for another one to become a big part of our lives, and if iTunes is the right place for it. The idea is all there, and there’s no doubt that we could find all kinds of uses for one optimized location for sharing our musical tastes and discovering new artists, but predicting if Ping will take off or not is a tough call.
One company not thrilled with this news is probably last.fm. This site seemingly does the exact same thing as Ping, except that it didn’t enjoy the 160 million users to begin with. Also, the format of Last.fm can be confusing at first, and if Apple manages to correct that with Ping, than this Last.fm user won’t hesitate to make the switch.
Looking ahead, wouldn’t it be great if we had a network like Ping for the App Store? The recent FTC ruling that settled the dispute about iTunes internet review guidelines is a great example of why the star-ratings don’t quite cut it. Music is largely a matter of personal tastes. Apps, on the other hand, have more standards that can be agreed upon. Thus, it would seem that a network of friends who you trust would be the best source of figuring out which apps to download. All that to say, it’s exciting to see Apple taking its first steps into social networking. As someone invested in the iTunes environment, I hope it works, and also that it spreads beyond music.
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