Apple has recently launched a new iTunes, which is now iTunes 10 and comes equipped with a very sharp looking new desktop icon. With the new iTunes comes a new social networking device called Ping which allows people with their iTunes accounts to interact with other users and artists who are currently signed up with iTunes. Once you create your simple profile and answer a few questions about what music you enjoy the profile is created and you can interact with the rest of the iTunes community. What makes Ping interesting is that it organizes all your activity on iTunes and shows what you have been listening to, writing about, purchasing as well as rating on the music store site. It takes the basics of Facebook, the music side of Myspace and creates a cool little area for you to give and get music listening advice. The more avid you are with iTunes the more people may want to check out your profile and see what you have been listening to or haven’t been listening to. I have just recently signed up my account and am interested in seeing how the site develops because it’s barely a week old and only about 15 artists are currently registered on the site as we speak.
One thing that does concern me is that it hasn’t been linked up with Facebook and it’s probably because of contractual disagreements between the two companies and without that connection I feel this may not do as well as Apple hopes. Ping is also only favoring music that you directly purchased from Apple instead of music you listen to the most on your iTunes or music that you rate as your favorite on your iTunes as well. Many artists haven’t been linked up with Ping yet either because the artist has to be formally invited by Apple to join which makes almost no sense and should immediately be changed once this site is underway. These small problems could immediately cause Ping to blow up rather then be a hindrance at the time being if all these small problems get worked out I’m sure that this will take off like every other social networking site and just prove how awesome of a company Apple is in the music industry, just as long as they can get off their high horse.
