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New Last.fm features: Flash player, concerts, free MP3s, and more
Recently social music site Last.fm unveiled an impressive array of new features, the first since July. Here's a breakdown:
Flash player
Previously listening to Last.fm radio required downloading and installing a desktop app, which was less than optimal. While the desktop player remains, Last.fm now also has a version in Flash that plays inside your browser. It's compact and works pretty much as advertised, though I experienced a few minor connection issues. The buttons from left to right are Recommend this track to your friends, Tag this track, Express your love for this track, and Don't ever play me this track again. The player's only failing, in my opinion, is the absence of a Pause button.
Events system
Last.fm now has a built-in event calendar that shows upcoming concerts near you. It shows gigs for the bands you listen to as well as (optionally) your friends' favorite acts and recommended artists. Users can add events that the system doesn't already know about, but I'm not sure if it also draws data from a more authoritative source, e.g. Pollstar or Ticketmaster.
Free MP3s
The site now offers some free MP3 downloads. The download links appear both on your dashboard (based on Last.fm's recommendations) as well as artist pages. You can preview the each track before downloading.
Taste-o-meter
Lastly, the Taste-o-meter, which appears on other users' profiles, tells you how closely your musical tastes are aligned with theirs, and what artists you have in common.
Overall, I'm pretty impressed with these new features, in particular the Flash player and the event calendar. I had almost given up on Last.fm in favor of Pandora (OpenPandora in particular). I've always been a fan of Last.fm's social features, and I'm glad to see them expand.
[Via Read/WriteWeb]
Flash playerPreviously listening to Last.fm radio required downloading and installing a desktop app, which was less than optimal. While the desktop player remains, Last.fm now also has a version in Flash that plays inside your browser. It's compact and works pretty much as advertised, though I experienced a few minor connection issues. The buttons from left to right are Recommend this track to your friends, Tag this track, Express your love for this track, and Don't ever play me this track again. The player's only failing, in my opinion, is the absence of a Pause button.
Events systemLast.fm now has a built-in event calendar that shows upcoming concerts near you. It shows gigs for the bands you listen to as well as (optionally) your friends' favorite acts and recommended artists. Users can add events that the system doesn't already know about, but I'm not sure if it also draws data from a more authoritative source, e.g. Pollstar or Ticketmaster.
Free MP3s
The site now offers some free MP3 downloads. The download links appear both on your dashboard (based on Last.fm's recommendations) as well as artist pages. You can preview the each track before downloading.
Taste-o-meterLastly, the Taste-o-meter, which appears on other users' profiles, tells you how closely your musical tastes are aligned with theirs, and what artists you have in common.
Overall, I'm pretty impressed with these new features, in particular the Flash player and the event calendar. I had almost given up on Last.fm in favor of Pandora (OpenPandora in particular). I've always been a fan of Last.fm's social features, and I'm glad to see them expand.
[Via Read/WriteWeb]
