Twitter #Music Will Live Despite Planned Demise Of Mobile App
A bit more clarity came to the discussion of Twitter #Music on Friday with a piece by Alex Pham in Billboard. Her sources say that the app's going but Twitter #Music will become part of the main Twitter platform. In fact, it will become one of a number of topic verticals that will allow Twitter to sell more targeted advertising. This certainly makes a lot of sense though it was interesting to see Twitter leveraging its data to power an offsite web and mobile app.
According to Alex Pham's sources, which sound extremely credible based on an email exchange we had, Twitter #Music lives though the mobile app is going away. I guess that means the web app is going away as well with a new version appearing on Twitter:
"Twitter intends to integrate the app into its main feed as one of several topic verticals that the Silicon Valley company intends to build so it can sell more effectively targeted advertising. Other verticals include news, TV and movies. Developing those verticals, sources say, is seen as key to Twitter's future growth as the company prepares to raise an estimated $1 billion from an upcoming initial public offering."
As previously noted, Twitter #Music was developed by a separate team and, though tied to Twitter, has a separate life as a web and iOS app.
Users that weren't busy mocking the idea periodically expressed an interest in seeing Twitter #Music at Twitter.com rather than as a separate app.
The fact that you have to leave the app to play complete songs is also an issue. Short snippets of songs are really only useful when you're shopping and even then they are sometimes useless.
Beyond song snippets, Twitter #Music's content is described by Corey Denis as "photos, articles, reviews, links to fan fiction" which, as Alex Pham notes, is "media that’s much better suited to the strengths of Twitter’s primary micro-blogging platform."
Twitter #Music App Likely Being Pulled, But What's Next For Music At Twitter?
Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (@fluxresearch/@crowdfundingm) also blogs at Flux Research and Crowdfunding For Musicians. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
Alex is a woman.
Ooops!
Thanks.