Webmusic is a rapidly growing industry. By 2021, it will generate $23 billion. This revenue stream is driven by streaming services. In addition, the live music subindustry is estimated to be almost $10 billion. While online music companies invest significant money to create access to new music, they are still struggling to convert free users to paid customers. That is why many music sites are trying to make money from selling concert tickets, artist T-shirts, and other promotional items.
For example, Pandora is a service that lets users hear music recommendations. Users also have the option of making suggestions. However, the site is ad-based. It is not an ideal solution for all consumers.
Another music discovery platform is Musicplayr. The site sources content from around the web, from popular artists on YouTube to local undiscovered bands on SoundCloud. As of right now, the site does not work with record labels or distributors. But in the future, the company plans to launch a mobile app for iOS. It will also integrate music identification service Gracenote.
Unlike Pandora, the site does not require users to input their music preferences. Instead, the site will be able to identify their tastes automatically. With that information, the website can source content from other sources. If a user likes a song, he or she will be able to add it to a playlist. To add it, the user simply clicks a red “x” in the top right of the window and selects “add to playlist”.
Another music discovery platform is Project Playlist. It allows users to create playlists and share them with friends. It also includes a standalone Flash player. Aside from these features, it offers a playlist-making tool and music blog posts. Each playlist is hosted on its own page. The buttons on the page allow users to listen in Windows Media Player, subscribe to a podcast, and listen in Real Player. Currently, the website is slow to load.
Another free webmusic option is Imeem. This site has an embeddable web player that can be placed on any Web page. It works well. Unlike most sites on this list, it has a faster interface. Also, its share button allows the user to paste the embed code onto other websites.
Lastly, Songza is a large site with a huge collection of songs from Bengali, Hindi, and English bands. Besides displaying songs, the site also has a download credit system that allows users to download songs for a nominal fee. Despite this, the site is not reliable. Whenever it is not working, it can be difficult to fix.
Conclusion
Finally, Google is working to expand the reach of YouTube in the Web music world. It has launched a test song feature that can be found in YouTube search results. When the feature is enabled, it will load a miniplayer in the search results. The player’s 11 color schemes can be adjusted, and there is an “Edit Your MP3 Playlist” section that lets users change the color.
