Zune Social (finally) integrated into Zune PC Software
While most of the Zune platform is a complete rip-off of Apple's iPod/iTunes model, we should at least give credit to Microsoft for trying to innovate in this market in one important way. The company is very serious about trying to build up a community of music lovers in a way that is, yes, perhaps a bit to similar to Xbox Live. With Zune 2, Microsoft launched something called Zune Social, which at the time was basically a Web site where you could create your own Zune Card (analogous to your Xbox Gamertag) that would optionally display to the world your music tastes and current playlists.
"Consumers want more than the traditional transactional model of an online music store plus portable device," claims Zune general manager of global marketing Chris Stephenson. "Zune is putting the strong combination of an online music community together with subscription to deliver a new experience centered on music discovery that's good for consumers, artists and the industry. This approach exposes consumers to music they might not have otherwise tried, keeps them coming back, and gives them purchasing options that suit their preferences."
I guess we'll see if that ever pans out. But with Zune 2.5, Microsoft has advanced Zune Social and the other community aspects of the Zune platform in important ways. Most important, perhaps, it has finally added Zune Social to the Zune PC software, as expected. Unexpectedly, it has also added Zune Social to the Zune device.
The device support for Zune Social is interesting. Basically, you can sync the Zune Cards of any of your friends to your Zune device, after first linking that device to your own Zune Card (which is really just a front-end to your Windows Live ID).
So that's interesting, I guess. But if you have a Zune Pass Subscription--Microsoft's monthly "all you can eat" music subscription service--you will also automatically receive all of the music in all of the playlists attached to your friend's synced Zune Card. (Assuming those songs are available on Zune Marketplace.) If you hear something you like, you can opt to purchase it from the device, though the actual purchase won't occur until the next time you sync. (And you'll be asked to confirm.)
On the device itself, this functionality is provided by the Social top-level menu item, which gains a new Friends sub-menu. Under this menu, you'll see the name(s) of the friend(s) to which you've synced. Click a friend's name and you can browse through their favorite albums, most-often played artists, and recent plays. Drill deeper and you can choose to buy individual songs (or you'll be told, more often than not, that the song is not available.)
Back in the PC software, Zune Social is now a first-class citizen. Whereas you could only access your Zune Inbox in version 2.0, 2.5 adds your Zune Card with detailed play info as well as a graphical (Card-based) list of your friends. You can also send messages to friends from this interface and invite people to become your friends. It's all so social, assuming you can find people who own a Zune device, or more likely, who have chosen just to use the Zune software. (Remember: You don't need a Zune device to use any of this stuff.)
In the Zune Marketplace, a new Listeners link shows you which Zune users are listening to that particular album or group. You'll see your friends on top, followed by top listeners. And of course, you can dive into any of these Cards and see what else they're up to.
Finally, Microsoft has added back the ability to have content played from Zune 2.5 appear in the Windows Live Messenger "what I'm listening to" list.
Wow!!
