FourSquare: The Next Big Thing?

Recently, some of my co-workers introduced me to this new thing called FourSquare. FourSquare is an application that can be used with the iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Palm, and other mobile devices. According to its official website, FourSquare is “a service that mixes social, locative, and gaming elements to encourage people to explore the cities in which they live.” It is an app that lets you “check-in” to places, find your friends, and learn new things about places in your city.

Wherever you are, you can “check-in” with FourSquare to let your friends know where you’re at. Each time you check-in somewhere, FourSquare keeps track of it. If you check-in enough times at a certain location, you can even become the “mayor” of that place. (This gives you bragging rights to say you visit that place the most...although some places will hook up the mayor with some sweet deals). You can also leave “tips” about places (i.e. if there’s a 10% discount at Subway, you can tell others about it by leaving that tip when you check-in). After visiting certain places at certain times, you can even earn “badges.” (One of my co-workers received a Los Angeles Lakers Badge for going to the Lakers Parade).

Many people are skeptical about the whole idea because it seems somewhat stalker-ish. A lot of people ask, “Why would I want to tell people where I’m at? So they can come stalk me?” However, it can only be stalker-ish if you let it. FourSquare only allows your friends to see your location, and your friends, of course, have to be approved by you.

People need to see the bigger picture with FourSquare. As I previously mentioned, businesses can use FourSquare to promote deals. For example, a coffee shop may want to offer the mayor of the place a free drink or bread just for being the mayor. Businesses can also leave tips for customers, informing them of any promotions they have going on. Customers can benefit from the perks of being a mayor and from reading tips that others have left about places. FourSquare can be a really fun and beneficial tool if people get into it.

CDs/Music Downloads vs. Subscription-Based Music Services

A lot of people in the music industry are predicting that there will be a shift toward Subscription-Based Music Services in the near future. Subscription-Based Services are those like Rhapsody and Zune Pass, in which users pay a monthly fee to have access to millions of songs. Users can listen to music on their computer, MP3 player, and/or cellphone, depending on the service. As long as they are subscribed, they have unlimited access to the music.

This type of service has a few positive aspects to it. For example, users can download as much music as they like. They can download songs that they normally wouldn’t pay for to download. With this service, users can download a song, and if they decide they don’t like it, they can just delete it. A lot of new music can be discovered with unlimited downloads.

However, subscription-based services also have a few downsides. One of the drawbacks is that a lot of these services have limited catalogues. Although these subscription-based services offer millions of songs, they might not carry every single song users are looking for. Another disadvantage is that users do not have a hard copy of the music they download. With CDs, users have a physical copy—one they can play anywhere and can keep forever. Even with songs purchased on iTunes, they can be burned onto a CD. With subscription-based services, though, once the user stops paying, the music is gone.

So in a way, subscription-based music services are more like renting your music. It is going to be difficult making such a shift in a society where people like to own things.

Deterring Illegal Music Downloading

For years, music industry execs have been looking for a way to deter illegal music downloading. Thousands of people have been using peer-to-peer file sharing programs like LimeWire, Ares, Kazaa, and Gnutella to illegally upload and download MP3s. Others have used file hosting websites such as MediaFire, ZShare, MegaUpload, SupLoad, and UserShare to download and distribute music. As more and more of these programs and websites pop up, it is becoming increasingly difficult for record labels to keep track of where their music is being distributed illegally.

Of course, record labels want to put an end to such programs and websites. Universal Music Group Distribution (UMGD), in conjunction with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), has already set up a website to encourage the public to take action and voice their concern to Congress about illegal music downloading. The website is MusicRightsNow.com. In a statement to Billboard, UMGD president/CEO Jim Urie stated, “We want to make our reps in Washington understand that this is a serious issue and to encourage the ISPs [Internet Service Providers] to come to the table.”

But what about the people who use these programs and sites for legit reasons? Granted, a lot of illegal file sharing does occur over these networks, but that is not to say it is all illegal. For example, independent artists might want to use these programs and websites to share new material with their fans for free. They may choose to use these types of systems for their own self-promotion. People don’t even have to be musicians to use these file sharing programs. Ordinary people might want to use these systems to share their personal photos, videos, or audio clips with their friends and family.

It is going to be very difficult targeting and punishing those guilty of illegal music downloading. It will also be interesting to see whether or not Congress takes a stand on the issue.