It could be said that ‘social’ is no longer a product, it’s a feature. Just witness Apple flicking the social networking switch on its hugely popular iTunes. And today the music video streaming startup Muzu.TV is doing the same.
“These days music sites need to do more than just provide users with content”, says Mark French, co-founder of Muzu. “Our visitors are part of the social networking generation and they’re looking for a site that puts them in touch not only with bands and fellow fans but also keeps them updated on the music scene.”
Ah, the social networking generation, a phrase often used to explain another me-too offering. In this case, while Muzu has a particular focus on music videos, it’s still pitching itself as the “the ultimate destination for music fans”, going up against the likes of MySpace, Apple’s Ping, and a host of other music-related social offerings, such as mFow.
Built on-top of familiar social networking features, the new Muzu.TV offers up a ‘dashboard’ that gives users real-time news updates and videos from their favourite artists, as well as free access to the site’s library of over 80,000 music videos. Basically you ‘follow’ the artists, personalities and music publications that fit your musical interests. Examples given include Scott Mills, Popbitch, NME and The Fly magazine.
The site also features a new recommendation engine which highlights videos based on your viewing habits and suggests other members with similar musical tastes for you to also follow and share content with. It wouldn’t be very social otherwise.
Overall, while obviously not being particular innovative, Muzu seem to have executed well on the UX side. It’s pretty easy to get started and begin following content and users, and the new site is cleanly laid out and aesthetically pleasing.