How Turntable.fm Replicates Music Scenes Online

There are two things that avid music listeners appreciate: variety and sharing. On the internet, listening to music has become a more social experience with sites like Last.fm, Spotify, and even YouTube engaging users in recommending music and commenting on it. And Pandora provides variety, auto-generating playlists based on listener preferences. Each of these sites and applications has dedicated users, but none of them do what Turntable.fm does. It creates space for members to interact in real time while sharing tracks, rating, and discussing them.

In the simulated club environment of Turntable, you get to be the DJ, along with four others. When people like your music, they press “awesome” and their avatar heads bop back and forth. It is gratifying—virtual reality at it’s best. Listeners can also hit “lame” if they don’t like it, which quickly reinforces the often stubborn borders of musical genre.

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