Apple reminds disinterested iTunes users that Ping exists

By on Nov 5, 2010 at 12:21 AM
Services November 5, 2010

When Apple announced Ping back in September, some heralded it as another brilliant move from Apple that would keep people immersed in the iTunes experience and bolster music sales. Most people, however, didn’t seem to care. Ping is Apple’s social network focused on music — described by Apple CEO Steve Jobs as “Facebook and Twitter meets iTunes”. It allows users to follow friends and artists to see what they’re listening to. More importantly, it allows users to then buy the tracks shared by those they follow with minimal effort. We don’t personally know anyone who uses the service however, and it looks like we now know why. Apple sent out an email to iTunes users today in an effort to remind them, well, that Ping exists. The email states that Ping “already has millions of users” and that it’s “growing fast”, but we don’t recall receiving emails like this when Apple has launched successful products and services in the past.

Tags:
, , , , ,
28 Comments

Related Articles

  • http://www.searingarrow.com AlienSix

    “Apple reminds disinterested iTunes users that Ping exists”

    But does anyone care?

  • Anonymous

    ping is so wack…maybe if it connected to friends or something, but it does not. wack

  • Mgl323

    Maybe if they integrate it with other social networks, then it might be 10x better.

  • http://www.facebook.com/mnbw727 Max Walker

    Odd that they chose a name for this “social network” that is only one consonant away from their rival’s search engine.

  • Anonymous

    Well that’s what they get for trying to steal Zune Social…

    • Anonymous

      And even then, Zune Social is still more used…

  • GreatDay

    I don’t care and I didn’t download the update because I don’t want it.

  • sirpaul

    Why would anyone want to follow their favourite artist anyways….let along on Ping. We have twitter for that – no artist wan’t to continuously update their ‘ping’ with random crap to possibly keep some people interested. When they could easily do that with an SMS to twitter.

  • http://twitter.com/suburban_war C. Lauretano

    I tried to give it a chance. A few weeks after it came out, I went on there, an armed with my “top 50 artists” list from last.fm (which has been tracking my listening for 4 years), I tried to follow my fav artists. Not a single artist had a page set up. They still don’t, I checked a few weeks ago.

    I talked with a buddy at work who has an album on iTunes and he said there’s no way for him to make a ping page for himself as an independent artist.

    I was so worried that it was going to cannibalize last.fm, but it looks like it’s just a dud. Can’t be a winner every time Apple…

    • Anonymous

      It’s because in Apple’s world, the artists exist to support Apple and Ping, not the other way around.

    • Anonymous

      Maybe they need to market the everliving hell out of it to convince people that it isn’t junk.. seems to work with their other products..

  • http://www.techfruit.com Tim [techfruit]

    What I don’t think Apple understands is that iTunes never had brand loyalty in the first place.

    People use iTunes because people love their iPods, iPhones, and iPads and it fits in with them really well and there is nothing wrong with that.

    However, iTunes on Windows is a bloated monstrosity and if there was something else I could use that would still sync so effortlessly with my iPhone then I would move in a second, and I don’t think I’m alone in that sentiment. People don’t really care if they are buying their music from Apple, Amazon, or any of the other alternatives – but they do want simplicity in making those purchases. Ping is extra confusion no-one wants, within software people use only because it’s the best way to sync your iDevice.

    • Anonymous

      Agreed. iTunes is a piece of junk and it frustrates me to no end. I actually got to the point earlier this year where I re-bought my entire iTunes catalog (only about $200 worth because I never liked my iPod in the first place) through Rhapsody and just use that with my cell now. That was the first (and last) time I let myself be wooed into one of Jobs’ marketing traps :)

      • Tee

        So why didn’t you just spare yourself the effort of re-buying everything and just do the DRM-Free upgrade on your iTunes music so you could move it out? Or, buy a stack of blanks and burn CDs, and just rip them back onto your computer…?

        I only ask cuz I was in the same situation and opted for the iTunes Plus upgrade to rid myself of DRM…

      • Anonymous

        It was a gradual thing that was almost done before I realized. Lol.

  • http://twitter.com/tsaunders tsaunders

    What’s ping?

    • JP

      It’s a social network…[dramatic pause]…for music!

  • Counsel Dew

    Steve and apple will now try to trademark ping and require all ping pong paddles to sport the apple logo…

  • http://www.facebook.com/sc0rch3d Ashley W. Keith

    i’m starting to think that Google Buzz was good (with purpose) timing for the market. It made people fear any up and coming social platforms.

  • Chet Stovepiper

    needs to integrate with facebook for people to care

  • rmcgoff

    Last.FM integration would have been the better choice. If you can’t beat ‘em (which Apple clearly cannot), join ‘em.

  • Anonymous

    Like most have said. The artist I want to follow aren’t there.
    If I want my friends to know about a song or album I just throw it up on facebook.

  • http://twitter.com/kjsin1994 Kendall Spann

    I like the new comment system. Nobody likes ping.

  • Anonymous

    Ping is worthless for the average itunes customer.

  • Broadwayrowe

    It’s another useless “Me too” service trying to copy Facebook…like Google Buzz failed miserably at.

  • appleneedsbbm

    at first i thought it was something like blackberry messenger, i was wrong, disappointed and uninterested after…. =(

  • http://twitter.com/Sauropod Neil Whiteley-Bolton

    Indeed – with me being a Bebop fan most of my favourite artists are dead! Bit like Ping really.

  • Michaelfox

    Ping adds no value. It is not easy to find people I may know, I really don’t care about the thoughts and opinions of those I don’t know – just another time sucker.

blog comments powered by Disqus