A list of music social networks that allow you to stream and share your favorite tracks.
Social networks like Facebook and MySpace have tried to integrate music into their services with varying degrees of success, but hardcore music fans will be disappointed by mainstream networks’ failure to provide a truly social music experience. We’ve already covered the top 10 music streaming services, so we’re following up with a list of the top music social networks.
Mog has a catalogue of over 15 million songs, which you can listen to for free. As well as browsing their library, you can tune into artist radio, which allows you to listen to customized playlists. Once you’re a Mog member, you can download the app for your smartphone or tablet and listen to music away from your computer too. Using Mog, you can share your favorite tracks over Facebook, Twitter for email, and your friends get to listen for free. The service is currently only available to users with a US-based IP address.
Last.fm is primarily known as a music streaming service, however it also has a large social element too. Users can set up profiles, and connect to existing friends, or find new people who like the same music as them. The website also has a set of forums, and, like Facebook, users can create their own “Groups”. The social side of Last.fm is a great way to find new music, connect to new people, and find out more about artist news and events in your area.
Apple’s Ping network is like Facebook for iTunes, where you can follow artists and your friends to get new music recommendations and find out what your favorite musicians are up to. Simply “Follow” an artist to get their news updates, and find out what music they’re listening to at the moment. You can add posts to their profiles, or “Like” or comment on their posts (see, we told you it was like Facebook). The same goes for friends: follow their profile, view their music suggestions and post on their wall. As the service runs through the iTunes software, you can also access it through the iTunes apps on iDevices.
Gogoyoko is more of a social marketplace than a social network, but it’s a great way to stream music free online, and buy tracks straight from artists, without lining record companies’ pockets in the process. You can store purchased tracks on your Gogoyoko profile, or download them to your desktop or a device. Artists get full control over what they charge for their music on the site, and they get 100% of the profit from sold tracks, plus revenue from streaming too. Follow your favorite artists, leave comments on their profiles and connect with other people who share your taste in music.
InternetDJ is a community for fans of electronic music. It’s a platform for people to listen to others’ tracks, find fellow musicians for collaboration, and share their own music with the general public. Artists can post their music for other members to rate and review, and the website has its own charts based on what people are listening to. As well as hosting a variety of electronic music, the website has its own blog, and a user message board.
Buzznet is a music, fashion and entertainment news website that hosts user-generated content. Readers vote for the favorite stories, which then become “Buzzworthy”. You can “like” and comment on other people’s news stories, and submit your own photos, videos, links, polls and blog posts. Users can also create their own groups, which act as forums.
Hannah is a freelance writer from London, UK. Having completed a degree in English, she discovered a passion for all things digital, and enjoys nothing more than writing about online communication, marketing and anything Apple-related. When she's not researching the latest app releases or ogling new gadgets, Hannah enjoys writing about personal development, yoga, and exploring the world. | Google Plus
