Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPod Genius is a genius marketing scheme

C

cualexander

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 3, 2006
567
96
Charlotte, NC
Think about it. Even though its anonymous, Apple still has loads of data now on what people's libraries are composed of. When you start Genius, it sends your entire library of song information to itunes.

All they do is have to datamine all this collective information and they can use it to predict what will sell. The users are collecting the data for Apple. All the work is done for them.

Seriously, they should win an award for this idea. It's going to be one of the largest scale music marketing enterprises in existence.
 
Apple is a company, they are out to make money, surprise! I personally Like how it recommends songs. I want to be able to know what to buy if I want to expand my library.
 
What do you mean by what will sell.... all they have to do is upload everything new as soon as its released by the record company/production house and put it on iTunes!

But yes when they suggest new songs through the genius sidebar... thats marketing!
 
It gets better than that. You'll notice that Genius creates a nice mix, but certain artists always go hand-in-hand. So after a while you'll decide to expand your music collection a bit because Genius can only benefit by having more songs to work with. That's when you pop open the Genius sidebar to get some new tunes.
 
You are right, I'm really giving too much credit to the end user really. These days you can make a song about doing drugs and abusing women and everyone eats it up. Even if it isn't music. People are such sheep.

I am not being critical of Apple. I am praising them for their brilliance. Personally though, I think the algorithm isn't that great and its more about selling more tracks.

I think the real key here is they can track not only your purchases from itunes, which they already could. But they can track your entire library.
 
Good business for Apple - and a great feature for iTunes. Personally I don't have a problem with it at all.

And its not like you can't turn it off if you don't like the idea.
 
I'm a bit of a conspiracy theorist sometimes. I don't use Facebook much for this exact reason.

But 'Genius' rocks. It's exactly what I've needed for a long time. I just hope they make it available to existing iPod Classic owners as a firmware update. Shame on Apple if they don't. The only difference is the HDD size.
 
I much preferred what mp3.com used to have a long while ago.

It was a flash type application where youd give it a band, even the most obscure, and it would visualize this gigantic map of lines and orbs. The lines connected orbs to one another, the larger the orb, the more like the band you chose.

Sometimes it gave you nothing. Other times it gave you connections that reached so far you could go from Radiohead to Wu Tang.

I dont know what happened to that. I discovered alot of new bands that way.
 
Sdashiki said:
I much preferred what mp3.com used to have a long while ago.

It was a flash type application where youd give it a band, even the most obscure, and it would visualize this gigantic map of lines and orbs. The lines connected orbs to one another, the larger the orb, the more like the band you chose.

Sometimes it gave you nothing. Other times it gave you connections that reached so far you could go from Radiohead to Wu Tang.

I dont know what happened to that. I discovered alot of new bands that way.
Click to expand...

Sounds interesting, kinda...

But what possible connection does Radiohead have with Wu-Tang? They both ate at the same McDonalds once?!? :eek: :confused:
 
TwinCities Dan said:
Sounds interesting, kinda...

But what possible connection does Radiohead have with Wu-Tang? They both ate at the same McDonalds once?!? :eek: :confused:
Click to expand...

I meant one band was connected in a way to Radiohead, and another from Radiohead to another and another, possibly ending at Wu Tang.

It may not be a real example, but an example of the idea.
 
Is this the same as or similar to what you're describing?

Sdashiki said:
I much preferred what mp3.com used to have a long while ago.

It was a flash type application where youd give it a band, even the most obscure, and it would visualize this gigantic map of lines and orbs. The lines connected orbs to one another, the larger the orb, the more like the band you chose.

Sometimes it gave you nothing. Other times it gave you connections that reached so far you could go from Radiohead to Wu Tang.

I dont know what happened to that. I discovered alot of new bands that way.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back