8Tracks, a new
iPhone and Android app that allows users to stream playlists created by other
users is becoming a hot topic in the app market. 8Tracks encourages legal, peer
to peer sharing of playlists that are tailored to specific moods, settings and
events. With playlists themes ranging from parties to studying,
8Tracks hopes to take advantage of preexisting business models like social
media and music streaming to attract more users by integrating both of these
models into their interface. The biggest appeal to 8Tracks is that celebrities
and DJs alike are creating playlists for their fans to listen to as a better
way to connect with fans: “there's something special about listening to a
playlist that's been curated by hand with real thought about how the songs flow
together” (Henry). 8Tracks’ app lets users search for playlists based on
song titles, keywords, artists or account names as a way to “find something new
to listen to…connect with the DJ that created the playlist, stay up to date on
new mixes as they're posted, and discover new songs based on what you're in the
mood for” (Henry). However, the most interesting aspect to 8Tracks is that it
will not charge an app purchasing fee, subscription fee, downloading or
streaming fee, nor will there be any advertisements in the interface. This
troubled me because I do not know how the company plans to obtain revenue to
support the royalty payments owed to artists, let alone payroll for 8Tracks’
employees.
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