Who isn’t instantly transported by some old song from an important time in their life? Music controls your brain. Music penetrates your limbic system, the seat of your emotions. Advertisers use music to control you through your emotions and to make you memorize their slogans. Read some of the scholarly studies about music and the limbic system. We have CAT scans and PET scans looking at the brain listening to music to back this up.
I just started using Spotify today, while doing some updates to the two Facebook books, thanks to F8 and the news feed changes last week. I discovered some cool new music through a friend who lives in the U.K (Antonia Harler). From an SEO perspective, she just got a link because I liked her music. And I realized how big this is for Facebook…
I know only a little over half the U.S. uses Facebook, and only about 10% of the world. But I think it’s going to be most people, at least most Western peoples quite soon.
And for some of us, Facebook is always open. We’re at our computers at least eight hours a day, and Facebook is always there. Some of us already use our computers and mobile devices to listen to music. Some of us listen to music for at least several hours a day.
Music, Emotions, Family and Friends
Now… knowing what our friends and family are listening to… finding new music quickly and easily- virally even- because of that…
Now we will be connecting socially while emotionally connected to music. This enriches these virtual social connections with more meaning, attachment, and power.
Did you ever make a mix tape for someone you were romantically involved with? Ok I suppose that dates me a bit. But I did, and I had girlfriends do that for me, and it’s powerful. Those songs always remind you of that person, forever. Don’t tell my wife. But it’s ok, I’m going to get her going on Spotify too! Of course, she listens to too much disco for me.
Music says a lot about who we are, and it changes who we are. This is emotional sharing- socioemotional media. So my point is- our emotions will be even more involved with Facebook, we’ll never leave it. You’ll hear a song somewhere and think of Facebook and the friend you found it through, and you’ll go back to Facebook for more- Facebook wins the Social Media war for at least the next five years.
And let’s not neglect- how much will this help musicians? Friends who find music together online will go to concerts together as well.