Apple launches Ping Social Network in new iTunes updates

Yesterday was a busy day for Apple, along with announcing a new product line up including a new iPod Touch with a Retina display and dual cameras, a touch screen Nano and stream only TV; updates have also been made to iTunes and iOS.  The launch of iTunes10 is much more than just a minor upgrade and several things have been reworked. The biggest addition was Ping, Apple’s new music-centric social network and analysts are already suggesting that it represents a major challenge to existing music-based social networks such as MySpace.

What is Ping?

Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs has described it as a combination of Facebook and Twitter for music, which allows users to build networks of friends and professional musicians.  Ping provides custom song and album charts as well as 17,000+ concert listings and also integrates with the content of your iTunes library. It is possible to build playlists based on what your friends have been listening to and you are able to comment on and like the activities of others. A further feature planned is the addition of a top 10 list, comprising of the songs and albums your friends and the artists you are following have downloaded from iTunes.  Artists are also permitted to upload photos, videos and text updates, however regular users are limited to activity commenting for now. The addition of Ping seems like a natural extension from where you are buying your music and Apple hopes that by getting people to interact with artists in iTunes, it will help to sell more digital records.

Getting Started

The service is available immediately to iTunes’s 160 million+ users through the desktop, iPhone and iPod Touch. To start using Ping, all you have to do is download the new version of iTunes. Once installed, a new link is available under the iTunes Store tab to the left side of the iTunes interface.  The service is available on an opt-in basis so you need to turn Ping on and sign in with your Apple account, agree to a the Terms of Service and also select from Apple’s simple yet effective privacy options. You will then be presented with a simple profile form that gives you the opportunity to upload an avatar, write the standard social media ‘About Me’ section and add up to three of your favourite music genres.  It is also possible to connect your profile on Ping to your Facebook profile and once your accounts are connected, you can follow your Facebook friends on Ping too.

First Impressions

Early reviews of Ping have not all been positive and some have claimed that it tends to offer the same music recommendations for all users and they don’t seem to be connected in any way to individual users purchasing habits or iTunes library contents.  Apple are hoping that as more artists enable their Ping profiles and start to exhibit certain behaviours based on demographic and psychosocial factors, the recommendation quality for first-timers will also improve. Another key concern is the process of running a social network inside a desktop app, which may inhibit the platform’s growth.

The features currently offered through Ping tend to be fairly basic, yet there are still a number of improvements to be made. For now if is definitely an app worth watching, so let us know your initial thoughts on Ping!