Users are Getting Lazier - Uwe Hook

No, I'm not saying people are getting lazier.

The majority of us still work hard, try as best as possible to get ahead. What I'm saying is that all Internet users are getting lazier by the minute.

Just think about the changes in the music industry:

- 15 years ago, we spent hours in a record store, listening to music, trying to find the perfect album for our money.

- 11 years ago, we perused Napster for hours to find free songs to download.

- 8 years ago, we bought into the philosophy of iTunes and used it as our primary source for music.

- 5 years ago, we all flocked to Pandora to build our own channels and discover new music.

- A few months ago, Spotify launched with a massive streaming music database, allowing us to access almost any song every produced.

That was it, right? Once you have access to almost any song in the world for free, what else do you need?

We are even lazier than anybody thought.

Turns out, many of us don't want to curate playlists on Spotify, keep track on new songs on iTunes or keep up a music collection on any platform. How many? 1 million in a week, test-driving the Songza application. It's an interesting idea:

"Songza has a feature called Concierge, wherein the app takes bits of information, like your preferences, the day and time, and the fact that you're on a mobile device, and gives you a list of activities common for that specific moment in time.

"So, on a Friday late at night, Songza will give options for a sweaty dance party or working out, with filters for each like Pop and Hip Hop. Users can then choose from playlists that fit under that umbrella.

On the other hand, you'll see activities like getting up and working out on a Monday morning like this one. There's also an Explore feature which lets you select your playlist by Activity, Genre, or Mood."

Once you load the app, it requires 2-3 steps to get the music started. You can choose to rate (interact) or just let it run."

I tested it for a few days and I love the concept. It's one that will be pervasive for many industries: Online video, maybe most importantly: online news. Imagine if you could create a curated news service based on your mental state. You get up in the morning, need a boost, not ready for more bad news from Europe, Egypt and the world of environment. Why not curate a list that just provides good news?

It's a tricky proposition.

While we get busier, more media channels emerge, we have to find ways to connect with trusted curators. Songza is one. It's just the beginning. The age of curation.

Uwe Hook is the CEO and Co-Founder of BatesHook, Inc. (www.bateshook.com) and a veteran of the advertising and marketing industry with the goal of building connections between people and brands. Uwe can be reached at uwe@bateshook.com.

Read all Uwe's MediaBizBloggers commentaries at Subversions.

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