What's Not to Like? Facebook Helps Ilike Assert Itself Amid Crowded Social Networking Field

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INTERNETERiNIET BY ANTONY BRUNO What's Not To Like? Facebook Helps iLike Assert Itself Amid Crowded Social Networking Field

A month ago, iLike was just an- and convince them to join as iLike app pulls information di- Prudential Center who also list other online music community well in order to share music rectly from each user's Face- the band as a preferred artist, I3ITS &131RIEI=S struggling for relevancy in an recommendations. book profile (favorite artists, inviting them to participate in increasingly crowded market. iLike first went live in Octo- friends list, demographic a presale ticket offer. TOURS TO YOUR TOWN Today, it's the fastest -growing ber and through May attracted info). iLike's MySpace widget, There's also the potential for iLike isn't the only service out there alerting fans when digital music service on the about 3 million users. Then the meanwhile, is little more than actual download sales. iLike their favorite artists are coming to town. Here's a list of Internet, registering 1 million company made a version ofthe a glorified link back to the currently links to iTunes for others that do the same, but in different ways: new users per week and field- service for Facebook. Within iLike Web site, where users digital downloads, but that may ShowClix: Fans must enter dates regularly. It also in- ing information requests from three weeks, that incarnation have to re -enter all the infor- soon change as the company the names of their favorite cludes links to purchase record labels every half-hour. artists on the showclix.com tickets from TicketMaster, The difference is Facebook. Web site, which then as well as buy tracks on Facebook was once a niche checks for tour announce- iTunes, Rhapsody and social networking site limited ments every two hours and Napster. Bands can create to college students. Then two `Facebook has redefined sends e-mail alerts to reg- co- branded versions of the things happened. First, in Sep- what's possible for istered users when there is widget and market it tember, Facebook opened the a matching tour in their themselves. Requires the service to anyone. Membership a third party in a area. It recently added a Yahoo Widget Engine. doubled to 25 million, about discussion board so fans TicketMaster: The concert 60% of which are now non - social networking planning to attend a show ticket powerhouse allows college students. Then, in May, can leave messages and users to enter the names it opened its technology plat- environment.' otherwise chat about the of artists, sports teams and form let- to outside developers, -ALI PARTOVI, ILIKE upcoming event, as well as other performers at tick - ting them build their own a photo section displaying etmaster.com. It then custom applications using all Flickr pictures tagged with sends an e-mail alert when the tools and features of the that artist's name. concerts are scheduled in Facebook service. signed up 3.7 million users, mation that already exists on turns its attention to new busi- OnTour: From PassAlong the user's area and sends iLike was one such company and continues to add about 1 their MySpace profile. As a re- ness models. Networks, the OnTour ap- additional alerts for when taking advantage of this oppor- million per week, far overshad- sult, only a few hundred thou- However, iLike still has some plication matches artists tickets are about to go on tunity. iLike lets users share owing the original Web site. sand MySpace users have work to do. First, it needs to in users' digital music sale -even to users' mobile music preferences, receive per- "iLike is actually better on downloaded the widget dur- grow even more. While at 3.7 library against available phones. It also issues a sonalized concert and music Facebook than as a stand -alone ing the last five months. million users it is the second concert listings. The weekly e-mail newsletter recommendations and in- application," iLike CEO Ali Par - "Comparing the Facebook most -popular application on widget can sit on any Mac with a schedule of upcom- cludes a "sidebar" for iTunes tovi says. "It's a little sad to have platform to [MySpace] widgets Facebook today, that's still only or PC desktop and up- ing events in a given city. that creates automatic playlists to admit that your own Web site is like comparing the emer- 15% of Facebook's total mem- based on one's iTunes library. isn't as good as the thing you gence of mammals to di- bership -which itself is on Before teaming with Face- build for Facebook, [but] there's nosaurs," Partovi says. "iLike track to reach 50 million by the book, iLike required users to a community already there. [on Facebook] already knows end of the year. Second, it needs Top Songs visit the iLike site, set up a That's impossible to re- create what your music tastes are, who to start making money. All the T-PAIN profile and then try to match on your own." your friends are and what their services offered to users and Buy U A Drank ( Shawt)/ Snappin') JIVE 547.928 friends in their e -mail contact The catalyst for this growth music tastes are. Facebook has artists are free. iLike's only rev- 2 FERGIE Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal) WILLIAM/44M 427,726 list to existing iLike members. was not so much Facebook's 25 completely redefined what's enue stream is a cut of concert 3 RIHANNA Then, new users had to sort million members- although possible for a third party co- ticket and album sales. Umbrella SRP /DEF JAM 427,371 4 JORDIN SPARKS through a massive database that's part of it. Rather, it's the existing in a social networking The smart money says This Is My Now 19/RCA 404.382 of artists to tell the iLike serv- way Facebook provides access environment." someone will acquire iLike, 5 SHOP BOYZ Party Like A Rockstar Of61ECWU'IMERSAL REPURUC 394.997 ice which artists and music to that mass. And the music and soon. The so- industry company's 6 T-PAIN they prefer. Finally, they For instance, has taken notice. While cial media discovery capabili- The hits just keep Bartender KONVICT/NAPPY BOY/JIVE 312,766 coming from 7 HUEY needed to e-mail Pop, Lock Drop HITZ their friends the Facebook some labels are launching ties are a natural extension to Fergie's album 8 It COMMITTEE/JIVE 267,274 their own custom Face- any digital music service, par- as it recently 8 BONE THUGS -N- HARMONY became her I Tried FULL SURFACE //INTERSCOPE 247.090 book applications, like ticularly iTunes -given the 9 CHRIS BROWN album's fourth Wall To Wall JIVE 230.551 THINKING OUTSIDE Warner Bros. to pro- tight integration it already has straight top three 10 FALL OUT BOY mote the White with the service. single on The Thnks Fr Th Mmrs FUELED BY RAMEWISLAND 228.453 THE JUKEBOX Stripes' new album What's more, iLike's tour Billboard Hot 100. It's an arcade game. Its a jukebox. And it fits "Icky Thump," alert and recommendation fea- Top Videos Despite all of the on a table or a bar. many others are ture, not to mention ticketing FERGIE negative buzz Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal) WILL.I.AM/A8M 748.819 new Katana DreamAuthentics' personal arcade developing Facebook iLike service, would bring a much - surrounding her 2 T-PAIN "My December" Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin') JIVE 688.261 cabinet ships with more than 200 licensed classic profiles instead to better - needed new revenue stream to album, the 3 RIHANNA arcade games, but its built -in PC is compatible with communicate with fans. About many of today's struggling dig- single has been Umbrella SRP/DEF JAM 646,620 more modern games and can be hooked up to an 100 artists, including Faith ital music efforts. Ticketmas- successful in the 4 AVRIL LAVIGNE digital realm. Girlfriend RCA 561,968 Xbox 360 or PlayStation. It also plays DVDs. accesses Hill, 50 Cent and Kelly Clark- ter owns 25% of the company. 5 SHOP BOYZ the Internet and can display cable programming on son, are participating in an "in- For Partovi and crew, it's still Party Like A Rockstar ONDECK,UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC 517,458 6 LIL MAMA its 17 -inch screen. vite only" trial where iLike all a bit breathtaking. Lip Gloss JIVE 458,328 And don't forget music. While it does not ship with develops profiles we 7 HUEY custom that "It's something never Pop, Lock 8 Drop It RITZ COMMITTEE JIVE 342.771

any tracks, users can load their own MP3s into the de- include streaming music and would have contemplated just e KELLY CLARKSON vice for either standalone play or videogame sound- tour dates. a month ago," he says. "We've Never Again RCA 315,076 9 RIHANNA tracks. Customers can customize the size of the iLike also is working with had our whole world turned up- Umbrella " SRP /DEF JAM 306,110 10 UNK Katana's hard drive, a or Jovi choose joystick trackball con- Bon to test a tour promo- side down." Walk It Out BIG OOMP/KOCH 302,374 troller, and add classic jukebox controls. tion service. The company is For 24/7 digital news First Listen/First View " Network Live Prices vary, but start at $2,500. -Antony Bruno sending targeted e -mail to iLike and analysis, see Breaker Artist ** AOL Sessions Source: AOL Music for the four weeks ending June 21 users living near New Jersey's .Z billboard.biz/digital.

20 BILLBOARD JULY 7, 2007