RSSGoogle Starts Tracking Music Trends
By Nate Mook | Published August 17, 2006, 4:18 PM
Google is testing out a new service as part of its Google Talk instant messaging client that tracks the music that its users are listening to and ranks the tracks by genre. From the Google Music Trends site, users can see the top songs and click them for more information.
The service is completely opt-in and is compatible with Apple's iTunes, Windows Media Player, Yahoo! Music Jukebox as well as Winamp. Google will also store the music as part of its Personal Search history, so users can look back and see the artists they listened to on any given date. Information on Google Music Trends is updated nightly and includes data from the past week.
Why does this article mention only the controversial new feature? Why not mention the other new features that people actually *want* and asked for?:
-File transfer with unlimited file-size.
-Voicemail - contacts can leave a voicemail if you don't answer
-Music status - The MAIN reason for the new "trends" feature that lets contacts see what you're listening to. I would never use it, but I've seen people whining before that AIM doesn't support this.
I think the new features are nice. Voicemail will probably come in really handy. I probably won't use the music feature, but that's just because I don't care for it. If you don't like the sound of it, don't opt-in. Simple enough.
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|1 question why?
On another note good to see the list made up of mostly UK artists :-).
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|Why don't you ask the users of Last.FM? (It provides much the same service)
And I get the impression the list is tailored somehow to your own list - where you're searching from.
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|google just took its 2nd step to being gay.. the 1st step was logging everything including emails.. you guys knew that right?
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|You are on your 4th or 5th step then?
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|Is this going to be similar to last.fm and other sort of sites??
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|Google is worse than MS..Wait and see...
Tracy
http://seouni.com
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|Ha! You've got to be kidding.
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|If that's going to be true, then I'll be raking in the money with my GOOG shares.
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|I hate people. Seriously.
Take off your damn tin-foil hats, get out to the real world.
Oh no, Google is offering a service that some people will enjoy. The end is near!
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|ha HA... now there's a post I appreciate. Well said, DJInsomniac
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|Opt-in? Yea, right. All of us weren't born yesterday, Google. Giggle Talk just got uninstalled.
(There is reading comprehension and then there's reality. Do you honestly think that data will be tossed, even if you do not opt-in? If so, I've a bridge in Brooklyn you may wish to buy.)
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|What makes you think that they don't already do that? Maybe they even log every key stroke you make and send it up. And all they did now is give people an excuse to put their guard down since they'll think it's just their music preferences that are being uploaded.
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|Don't purchase anything from a store, don't visit any sites, all that trend info out there! BetaNews stole your tinfoil hat with their web analytics!
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|Has anyone tried a packet sniffer to see what data is being transferred?
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|You need to actively turn on the feature. I think it's pretty obviously "opt-in" if that is the case...
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|Oh WOW google know what music you're listening to - run for the hills.
Seriously get over it, it was ok that it logged your chats, but now it logs what music you listen to it's got to go? Does it really matter if google knows you listen to britney spears? The worst thing that's going to happen, is google ads and searches are going to be targeted better for you.
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|Bye bye privacy, hello big brother
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|Bye bye reading comprehension.
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|You people are so sad. The fear-mongering of your media has real got to you, hasn't it? :p
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