Future Now
The IFTF Blog
Will sociability make Zune cool?
With the rise of recommendation-based music discovery systems like Last.fm and iLike, and the increased importance of friends and contacts as trusted recommendation sources and filters, music discovery is more social than ever. In an attempt to compete with Apple's iPod success, Microsoft has announced that it will release a portable subscription card for its Zune players. Users had recommendation functionality in the past, but it was accessible only through the website. With the portable card, Zune users can share their favorites with other Zune users.
More from NewsFactor.com:
New updates to the Zune online music community also include syncing Zune Cards to a Zune device, which allows them to get updates on what their friends are listening to. If Zune Pass has the song, the track is automatically available to a subscriber's device for listening. If the user is a nonsubscriber, only the album information and artwork is available. The track can then be purchased with one click.
Other updates allow users to add their name, location and biography to their profile in the Zune music community, rate and review artists and albums, add "badges" that show if they are really passionate about a song, and see what Windows Live Messenger contacts—who are also Zune users—are listening to. New features include automatic updating of playlists, browsing videos by genre and series, and editing album and track information.
Keep in mind, of course, that it's all sharing with the purpose of leading users to purchase tracks from the Zune online store or to pay the monthly subscription fee and convince their friends to do the same.
That aside, as an XBOX Live subscriber, it sounds to me like Microsoft may have looked to the XBOX team to breathe some social life into the Zune line of products. The sociable features are similar to those available to XBOX Live subscribers. For instance, gamers can see what games other online friends are playing when they log in to XBOX Live, and now Zune users will have a similar experience with music.