What is an MP3 aggregator you ask? To put it simply, it is a website that serves as a database of multiple MP3 based blogs that compiles the songs into one hub. Often, a social network is created around this function. Today, I will be comparing two widespread aggregators – Hype Machine and Elbows.
- Can “friend” or “follow” people, such that you can keep track of what they listen to and vice versa
- Search engine relatively easy to use
- Feeds easy to navigate
- Song playing appears as a toolbar at the top of your page once you have an account, so you can explore Hype Machine however you want without the song stopping
- No buffering, instantaneous playing
- Fun way to discover unknown bands
- By no means cumulative, definitely a bias toward the indie/alternative movement
- Sometimes the toolbar up top will freeze, making changes mid-song difficult
- Aggregates music posts as well as MP3s
- Not very closely regulated
- HUGE blog database
- Search function isn’t perfect – a search for “Wolves at the Gate” didn’t yield the right band posts right away – it presents results in chronological, rather than relevant order
- MP3 results hyperlink to the source blogs rather than play in an in-site music player – good for increasing traffic to small blogs, bad for efficiency
- Obvious why this is popular – lots of marketing potential for artists
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