Over the last decade the ways of finding and sharing music have exploded – there are web forums, social music sites, subscription services, recommendations on music sites like tunes, Twitter, Facebook, and on and on.
But guess what? There is still no better way to find something than a recommendation from a trusted friend – and better still, direct sharing that leads to a purchase.
My brother came to visit us over Easter for the weekend, and on Sunday morning I put on Jason Parker’s Five Leaves Left. My brother grabbed his iPhone after a couple of songs and asked for the name of the album and immediately bought it on iTunes! I was a bit surprised, since I had mentioned it was available as a ‘pay what you want’ deal on the Jason Parker site … but as he said:
- You never ‘just’ play music – if you put it on, it is worth hearing.
- I like what I heard so far.
- I want to have it for the ride home.
So there you have it – a reminder that regardless of the how technology advances, there is nothing like the direct experiential reference of a person you trust.