Record labels have cottoned on to the fact that the way we acquire and enjoy music has changed dramatically. In the days of the gramophone, music was very much a collective experience, exclusively for gatherings or family occassions, and rarely done in solitude (akin, so I hear, to whipping out a copy of Razzle on the Northern Line).
Whilst technology has offered vast improvements in terms of playback, both in quality and convenience, the combination of the MP3 player and the internet has taken the enjoyment of music into the personal realm, but the discussion and discovery of music into the wider online community. Look at the raft of community sites, and the recent acquisition of LastFM by entertainment stalwart CBS radio, and you'll quickly grasp that not buying music doesnt mean the revenue has dried up, it's just coming from a different source.
Anyway, some nice sites worthy of your attention.
MOG - US site, one year old, and a nice mix of proper community features, blogging, sharing of music (including full length tracks), and media. And it has a "magic button" (no, I'm still getting to grips with what it actually does). What's really nice is the way it populates your profile automatically, by whizzing through your music folder on your computer and posting it to your page.
Live Plasma - Interesting search engine, giving a visual map of bands / artists based on your search and helping you discover related music, music in films, etc etc. Works for films, actors and directors as well, all linking out to Amazon so you can buy the object of your desire.
Seeqpod - A search engine for music! Really simple. Does one thing very well. Search for a track or artist and it will search the web for tracks or video that match your search. Sign up and you can save your playlists and send recommendations or full lists to friends. Each search result includes a link out to related news, blog postings etc. Very nice. Very simple. Most of all, very useful and usable.
Happy listening!
No comments:
Post a Comment