Why Last.fm Rocks

Last.fm, dubbed a social music website by some, has wriggled it's way into being a pivotal part of my daily internet routine.
The "revolution" began back in the 20th century, when a few music nerds put some relatively simple logic into fruition. Why not connect listeners to their favorite music while introducing them to new artists without the hassle of that wiley Mr. Middle Man? Brilliant! They then continued to drink their Guinesses and appreciate their animated, 2 dimensional selves.

Calling the site social however, seems a bit overkill to me. Sure, you could possibly meet your potential lifemate while posting about how Ricky Martin's brand new single expands his musical limits beyond that of a music god, but that isn't what the network is about. In short, it's about the musicians. It's about getting word out, putting them in the spotlight without strings attached.

"No strings attached!?", one might oh so vehemently dissent. "What about the program that sits conspicuously on my computer deviously tracking my every music listening move!?" I know, I know it seems like the year 1984 is here already... can you believe it? My, how time has flown.

Although I don't think that anyone can assume anything to be certified 100% BS free, I'm positive that the only thing that the client records are the songs (in name only) from which artists you've been listening to. The incriminating information (i.e. the file type and where it came from) are safe at home on your machine.

When that fact can safely be realized, there is only one thing left to do. Break open that pink highlighter and start drinkin' down that sweet nectar... uhh, I mean... start scrobbling tracks.

*Digression Warning* Could they have come up with a better name for uploading tracks? It's almost as eloquent as the words "blog" and "blogging" and maybe even introducing yourself as a "blogger". Hi my name is Mark and I'm a blogger. Barf. *End Digression*

Anyhoo, after the scrobbling has begun, Last.fm is always hard at work. The only thing that the network needs is time. All that needs to be done on your side is the listening. Your profile will soon be rife with artists that you know and love, while by their side will be listed others in similar categories. Because of these categories is Last.fm truly able to shine.

The network of musicians is intricately connected through a series of descriptors. When one (or a variation of one) is found attributed to two artists at the same time, a connection is made. The results of the connections made to other artists are usually organized by popularity and the amount of scrobbles they've recieved. I'm sure that there are many more methods to the madness, but that is the most obvious one.

These categories make Last.fm unique. They can be made up by anyone who stumbles upon the artist and feels like putting their opinion into what they sound like. This action will possibly connect the musicians to another set, further broadening the chances for someone else to hear it. Although this can also cause problems similar to those posed at Wikipedia, the amount of good that can come of it overshadows the bad.

There are countless other interesting things that stem from using Last.fm: things like a flowing river of recommended tracks that match your listening habits, music videos, a live music calendar for artists, high quality tracks to be downloaded and streamed, artist biographies and the never ending possibility of finding the next band that you'll fall in love with.

Some may find it interesting as a social utility as well; given the ability to share tracks that you love with people, join groups and find out what your friends are listening to. I just like it for the music.

I promise that I'm not from Last.fm trying to push it, I simply appreciate it.

Join here if you will.