Social Networks in Music: Spotify
https://news.spotify.com/us/2014/12/11/top-tracks-in-your-network/
http://www.techinsider.io/inside-spotify-and-the-future-of-music-streaming#ixzz3lGzrbpLa
The streaming service Spotify is centered around the social aspect of music. It is designed so that most people link their Facebook account with their Spotify account so that they automatically have a large social network. They recently revamped their application so that it is significantly easier to utilize the social features. It opens up to a Browse homepage, which has a bunch of playlists and songs that you can start listening to immediately. Many of these playlists are created by Spotify employees, but just as many are created by users just like you. This gives you a whole new way to create a network of people that listen to the same music as you. On this page there is also an option to find songs specifically tailored to you, and these aren’t just automatically generated lists. These are handpicked songs based upon your previous listens and likes. You can also browse by genre, mood, charts or release date. The most intriguing part of Spotify, though, is the right side of the screen: your friend list.
The right part of the screen, no matter what page you are on in the application, is dedicated to what your friends are listening to. It utilizes your Facebook friends list and gives you the option to follow any of your friends or any user on Spotify, as long as they have an open account. They recommend people to you based off of your music tastes and try to connect you with people with similar interests. At the end of last year they launched a Top Tracks in Your Network feature, which shows you the most popular songs among the people you follow. Their algorithms determine whose songs you like, creating a network of strong and weak ties. They are doing everything they can to connect you with fellow music lovers. Doug Ford, their director of music programming, even said in an interview with Tech Insider that “I’m envisioning it like we own a big, large network.”