New iTunes social features?
Friday, September 5th, 2008According to the latest rumors Apple is set to unveil the newest version of iTunes next week with some interesting features, most notably, something called ‘Genius.’ One description we read had this to say:
iTunes 8 includes Genius, which makes playlists from songs in your library that go great together. Genius also includes Genius sidebar, which recommends music from the iTunes Store that you don’t already have.
Of course to make a feature like this possible iTunes would have to start aggregating user playlist and purchase information much like Last.fm already does to provide recommendations (though I’m not sure if this fits within the current iTunes EULA). Assuming the legal hurdles can be cleared it’s only a matter of time before large companies like Apple (or perhaps Amazon) crash the Last.fm party.
As an entrepreneur it’s always important to consider how you business might be affected if a large industry player simply added your “product” as a “feature” to one of their own mega-products. In a marketplace where business eco-systems and feeder products are becoming more common, having a solid contingency plan and exit strategy are key. We’ll be watching to see how Last.fm responds to the iTunes social integration threat…

There’s been alot of talk recently about the upcoming “true video” iPod and the rumored iPhone but little attention has been given to the iPod shuffle. I have to admit I snored a bit when I first heard about it (what, it’s just smaller than the original?) but I have quickly come to love it more than any iPod I’ve owned.