iTunes 10 goes social with Ping
Ping is just the beginning…Pong still to come
Apple launched Apple TV yesterday to which CEO Steve Jobs admitted just months ago that Apple TV was more of a hobby than a project and that’s how I currently see Ping. Ping allows users to “Learn even more about your favorite artists and friends starting with their bios. See what they’ve been up to — even listen to 30-second previews of music they like. Find out when and where artists and bands are on tour, and check out photos and videos they’ve posted. With Ping, a community of the world’s most passionate music fans is just a click away.”
Ping is a way for Apple to get it’s feet wet in the social platforms while competing to harness the attention of its 160 million users away from browsers. “Pong” is my version of Ping 2.0. When released, Apple will be able to tweak and fine-tune to it’s users wants and artists needs.
Apple should have privately released it to the music industry artists so that a large group could already have profiles built out. I don’t want to follow any of the 14 artists. Out of those 14, I either like the way their music was when they first started or on don’t like their music at all.
Pros:
- Built directly into your iTunes (160 million built-in users)
- Free and Easy upgrade
- Facebook Connect integration
- Simple Privacy Controls
- Apple umbrella
Cons:
- Built directly into your iTunes
- Possible low adoption
- Only allows you to like 3 genres
- Limited number of artists available
Lost in the conversation is the power of fame in social media. I’m not talking Double Rainbow fame but rather fame that comes from actors or musicians. Concert ticket prices remain high and tours are being canceled. Right now is the perfect opportunity for internet-savvy entertainers such as Lady Gaga and Ashton Kutcher to further grasp the possibilities of one broadcasting to many. Ping’s success will be directly correlated to the artists’ involvement.
From Mr. Social: Ashton Kutcher Plans to Be the Next New-Media Mogul
“The Katalyst HQ series illuminates what Kutcher’s production company wants to become: not just a home for his television and movie projects but also a go-to source for brands looking to deploy what’s called “influencer marketing,” a squishy hybrid of entertainment content, advertising, and online conversation that finds its audience via video, animation, Twitter, blogs, texts, and mobile. “Entertainment, really, is a dying industry,” says Kutcher. “We’re a balanced social-media studio, with revenue streams from multiple sources” — film, TV, and now digital. “For the brand stuff, we’re not replacing ad agencies but working with everyone to provide content and the monetization strategies to succeed on the Web.”
Watch the new 2010 iPod lineup, Apple TV, and iTunes 10 Keynote.
Michael Brennan Media 
And a day after Apple released Ping, Facebook blocked Apple from using their API. That means that users signing up will only be able to find friends with email addresses until the 2 giants come to terms. Techcrunch is keeping a close eye on their “relationship status”