Giving YouTube Disco a test drive
In recent days, YouTube has become the latest internet service to provide users a service that allows them to discover new music. The YouTube Music Discovery Project and Playlist Creation Tool, or better known perhaps as YouTube Disco (I’m presuming that ‘disco’ is meant as the short term for ‘discovery’ as opposed to paying tribute to Donna Summer et al.), was launched recently, allowing users to view a playlist of music videos based on a singular search term. It also offers up a list of related artists plus a mix option that allows you to intersperse recommended band choices with the subject of the search.
So, I thought why not give it a test-drive? First up, I tried Nine Inch Nails. Here are the first five artists to come after Nine Inch Nails in the playlist:
- Marilyn Manson
- Throbbing Gristle
- Front 424
- Coil
- Einstürzende Neubauten
A mix there are artists I know (who I incidentally don’t like in the first place) and ones I don’t. Point to YouTube! Next up, Radiohead:
- The Verve
- Muse
- Massive Attack
- Björk
- Manic Street Preachers
I’ve heard of all of them and, even though I like them all, that’s a point against YouTube. Finally, for the decider, Muse:
- Coldplay
- Ash
- Keane
- Travis
- Placebo
I’ve heard of all of them and it quite pedestrian really, so another point against YouTube, making it 2-1 against the Google-owned company.
So, what have we learnt here? Well, it’s quite simple really. If you’re a seasoned music listener who really wants to find something new that isn’t obvious, then places like Last FM and Pandora will probably find something to suit your needs. However, that doesn’t make YouTube Disco completely redundant. It has an audience I think – the type of music listener who isn’t hugely into music but may perhaps want to try something new that isn’t too challenging. Put simply, YouTube Disco is music discovery for beginners, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Like this? Try these!
Posted on January 28th, 2010 by Max
Filed under: Features, News
Leave a Reply