Musicmatch 9.0 to include "Send to Friend"

[James Fee]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/9244512.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/9244512.htm</a><br /><br /></div>"<i>On Demand subscribers can share play lists of songs assembled from the 600,000-track library, eclectic mixes or complete albums, by clicking the ``Send to'' button and entering an e-mail address. The friend receives an e-mail listing the tracks in your playlist. There's one catch: recipients must install Musicmatch Jukebox 9.0 if it's not already on their computers; the Send to a Friend e-mails include a download link. Recipients must also have a high-speed Internet connection. With the software installed, recipients only need to a hit a button labeled ``Click here to listen to this playlist.'' They can run through the playlist three times, getting near-CD-quality audio.</i>" <br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/3D_linear_mm.jpg" /> <br /><br />This new "Send to a Friend" feature is very interesting. This should help drive traffic to Musicmatch when people can listen to music for free and then click on a link to buy the music directly from Musicmatch. iTunes has had a feature where you can send links to people, but they can't listen to the whole song. <br /><br />There is no download link to MMJB9 yet, but I'm sure it will be available soon.

[Felix Torres]

Somebody at Musicmatch had their thinking cap on.
This might be the first 21st century change to teenage mating rituals! 8)

Instead of burning a mix CD, the young'uns can email playlists. :wink:

[Neil Enns]

Napster has a "send to friend" feature too. You can send a 30-second clip of any song to someone, although as you might guess they have to install Napster to hear it. It's quite handy, although I do wish you could send the full song sometimes, even if only for a limited number of playbacks.

Neil

[Jason Dunn]

I think this is a VERY interesting feature - I know that if I someone sent me an album and I was able to listen to it a few times (and liked it), I'd certainly buy it. Very slick concept!

[James Fee]

Somebody at Musicmatch had their thinking cap on.
Totally agree! I can't imagine how others won't match this.

[Felix Torres]

Somebody at Musicmatch had their thinking cap on.
Totally agree! I can't imagine how others won't match this.


Well, *some* won't be able to.
What makes this possible is that musicmatch's business and operational model includes *subscription* services and works mostly like radio. So their licensing terms are on the order of a cent per play.
So the licensing cost of this kind of viral marketing is minimal (10 cents per playlist?) and pays for itself in new customers.

But not every online music store can offer this; they have to be licensed for full-song streaming, so the only ones likely to match or better this are MS (they already have something similar in beta-test through ThreeDegrees), Napster, and maybe Rhapsody.
Walmart and others would have to rework their business model and licensing to support subscriptions, so unless this becomes the next *big thing* it probably won't be worth their effort; by the time they get onboard it will be too late to get any meaninful benefit.

Still, its darn clever of Musicmatch and will likely drive customers to their on-demand service. Its a good fit with Media Center PCs, too.

[Jonathon Watkins]

Still, its darn clever of Musicmatch and will likely drive customers to their on-demand service. Its a good fit with Media Center PCs, too.

Cute. I like it. :D

Now just to upgrade MusicMatch from 8.2 to 9.0 ........