The BBC News posted a story September 1 2010 featuring the introduction of the newest social network for music, Ping by Apple. As an addition to the newest iTunes software, Ping is a logical extension for iTunes users. Ping is music based, and is a direct competitor to other music based social networks, such as MySpace, among others.
Ping is a social base for musicians, music lovers, and their friends. As with MySpace, musicians can share their music and discover fellow musicians. Ping also searches the play lists of friends, and makes references to users based on their friends' play lists. This social network will scan the top ten album and song picks of friends and artists followed, then post the selections to the network pages. The exciting new service will be available for the Mac and PC through the iTunes software, and through iTunes applications on iPhones and iPads.
Network Mapping Software
As many music lovers already have subscribed to the convenience of iTunes, Ping could quickly become a fast competitor, and destroyer, of social networks such as MySpace. Another network in possible trouble from the forming competition is Spotify, which allows its users to publish playlists and artists via Facebook. Spotify also allows users to download iTunes playlists. It seems natural Ping would compete strongly against such existing networks.
Apple, however, does not want to convey the message they are trying to compete with other social media networks, nor are they trying to carve out market shares belonging to other networks. Apple bills the new software simply as a new way to discover music, not a takeover of the already established social forums. When comparing the new network to Facebook, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak differentiated the two by calling Facebook life, and Ping music. Mr. Wozniak defined each network as covering different aspects of a world of one unifying whole.
Some reviewer pitfalls of the product were complaints that the music recommendations were the same for all users. Also, users are not happy that they cannot import friend lists from other social networks. Perhaps these are complaints Apple can address when they produce next year's updated version of their newest break into the world of technology and media.
The software is worth a trial for those already subscribed to iTunes. Any software offered by Apple is worthy of a review by fans of Apple and their impressive line of ever improving products. Perhaps this is the newest Facebook, or MySpace, or Spotify. Whatever the software aspires to be, or becomes, it will certainly have an impact on the music community, as Apple hardly produces many pieces which do not succeed greatly.
Ping, The Next Social Network by Apple Network Mapping Software
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