We all know that the genius feature on iTunes is a great way to discover new music. Just click on songs you like and preview them in the iTunes store before you decide to buy. But what if you want to listen to an entire song before you buy? Or what if you want to discover lots of new music, all at once? Check out 8tracks, a do-it-yourself internet radio tool.
8tracks lets users upload playlists of their favorite songs and share them with others. A playlist consists of at least eight songs, most of which have to be by different artists, but keep to a similar theme. So, for example, you can listen to “Hip Hop old school beats” or, for the broken-hearted, “A soundtrack for the ones who got away”. If you’re a registered user, you can friend other users, comment on playlists and even upload your own music. Those who prefer not to get so involved can enjoy music on the site without registering.
8tracks is a really nifty concept, made even cooler by the fact that there’s an iPhone app available so you can listen to music on the go. There’s even an 8tracks fullscreen player extension for Google Chrome. Lastly, Mac users get an additional 8tracks perk – the app has a Mac Uploader that lets you click and drag songs directly from iTunes to be uploaded to the 8tracks’ website.
So rock on, fellow music lovers. 8tracks really does seem to have it all.
