As we and others reported last Friday, Twitter has invested in and developed a music streaming and discovery service. Last week, you needed to be Ryan Seacrest or other selected big players to enjoy the service. Today, all that changed when ABC’s “Good Morning America” effectively launched this new service.
Following the piece on GMA, Twitter released more information on their website. They began by saying that people can download the iOS app via Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s App Store or access the Web version at music.twitter.com. The app will first be available in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. The company also hinted that users in other countries or those with Android phones would not be waiting long for a mobile app.
The app is exactly what you would expect from Twitter, or even better. I was surprised with the sleekness of the app as it helps you find music that’s popular on Twitter and music based on the bands you follow. The app is centered around four pages or tabs, which you can swipe through to access.
The Popular page shows music that is trending throughout the Twitterverse while the Emerging Artist tab is put together from “hidden talent found in tweets.” Thirdly, The Suggested tab shows artists you might like based on the artists you follow on the service and who they follow. Lastly, the Now Playing tab will show you the music that those who you follow are currently enjoying.
Twitter currently gathers its music from three sources: iTunes, Spotify, and Rdio. By default, users hear previews from iTunes when exploring music in the app, and Rdio and Spotify subscribers can log in to their accounts to listen to full tracks available through those services.
“There are times when you need a single-purpose knife in the kitchen and there are times when you are out camping and you want a Swiss Army knife. We have different apps for different purposes,” Michael Sippey, Twitter’s VP of product, said earlier this week at the “All Things D: Dive into Mobile” conference.
This Swiss Army Knife now plays music.
