Social networking Web sites have never really known what to do with music.
Back in the MySpace days, users were forced to listen to whichever song their friends had playing on their profiles. This feature resulted in violent scrolling and clicking efforts to pause the intruding song, and ultimately led to MySpace’s fall as Grand Emperor of the Internet. (OK, maybe that wasn’t the straw that broke Tom’s back, but it came pretty close.)
Facebook has spared us that misfortune, but that hasn’t stopped many users — bitter exes, bitter hipsters, Jonas Brothers fans — from posting song lyrics in their status updates, seeking to express themselves in ways their own words can’t.
But then came Blip.fm on the coattails of that other 140-character micro-blogging Web site.
Each user on Blip.fm is called a “DJ.” (Take note, aspiring A-Trak’s — you even pick your DJ name.) DJs create their playlist by posting a series of blips. Blips are a combination of a short line of text (150 characters, max) and a music track. Users use the text line for different things: updating about their day, commenting on their attached songs, linking to videos of cute animals. The music tracks are all on the Web site, and are collected from across the Internet and hosted by Blip.fm. If the song you want is on the Web, chances are Blip.fm has it. And if it doesn’t, you can upload the song yourself onto Blip’s server.
You can blip as much as you want, whenever you want. Blip.fm doesn’t have the pop-ups of Imeem or the limits of Pandora. Like Facebook, but unlike Twitter, you can “like” friends’ blips by giving them “props.” Blip also has the Twitter functions of replying and re-posting, or re-blipping, making sharing new music easier than ever.
Speaking of re-blipping — SPM has taken nicely to the DJ life. Check out what our staff is blippin’ over here. Send us your own tunes in reply!
Here’s a preview of the goods:
Kerry LePain: Beirut — “A Sunday Smile”
Charlsy Panzino: The Killers — “Joy Ride”
Greg Fitzgerald: KISS — “Calling Dr. Love”
Erica Rodriguez: The Temper Trap — “Sweet Disposition”
Whitney Smith: Fleet Foxes — “White Winter Hymnal”
Claire Lawton: Ratatat — “Mirando”
Contact the reporter at jessica.testa@asu.edu
