There are thousands of music blogs on the web and searching through them can prove to be a time consuming task. Enter the Hype Machine.
(video interview with the people behind the Hype Machine)
The Hype Machine is a social networking website that tracks a variety of mp3 blogs. It was created by Anthony Volodkin while attending college in 2005. On the front page of the website are mp3 links added from various blogs that allow you to listen to the song. The website has its own media player and means of downloading the music posted. The Hype Machine does not blog itself, but rather provides highlights of several blogs without navigating away from the page. Blogs are chosen for the site based on several criteria, which are listed on the webpage. Although the site does not post its own blogs, it does have a place for members to leave comments and suggestions. The Hype Machine is basically an Mp3 blog aggregator.
The Hype Machine's success can be credited to many of its features. The application provides a place for unknown bloggers and artists to gain a name and has a great RSS feed available. The website not only offers mp3s and links to great music blogs, but also Hype Machine merchandise, photos, videos, widgets, and links to other social media websites they post on. You can also follow the Hype Machine on Last.fm, Facebook and Twitter.
However, music bloggers believe the Hype Machine's convenience undermines the music blog experience. Music bloggers believe mp3 aggregators discourage the visiting of music blogs. Although the Hype Machine summarizes what is going on, it does not look at the editorial content of a music blog. Having the support of music blogs is important in the operation of the Hype Machine. It depends on these blogs for the updating of its own site. Although bloggers may be aggravated by the disruption aggregators cause, sites like the Hype Machine advertise the blog so it does not go unrecognized.
The Hype Machine is a great place to do some one stop shopping for good music but also provides a great network for music lovers. The staff attempts to promote visiting the music blogs, but some people value convenience over the music blog experience. The Hype Machine is evolving. The site enjoys better security, more blogs, merchandise, RSS feeds and social networking tools it never had in the beginning. The application is seemingly growing in popularity. As we head into a new decade, the Hype Machine will be there to provide us with the newest music from the best blogs.
More information about the Hype Machine
