Popularity of new service unclear

Only days after Apple quietly updated iTunes to bring more focus to its Ping service, the company has distributed an e-mail reminding users of the social networking features. The media software now provides options to recommend or comment on tracks that are currently playing, while the Recent Activity section includes communication from other Ping contacts.

Despite reports of a breakdown in negotiations between Apple and Facebook, Ping gained over a million users within a few days of its launch. It is unclear if the fledgling feature has kept the interest of the first group of users, however. Apple has yet to provide follow-up numbers regarding the number of total users in the firs two months.

Many users have criticized the feature for lacking Facebook integration and effective filters for the barrage of spam that has appeared at times. Although the company has successfully enrolled a number of popular musicians, only 2,000 artists have been successfully passed through Apple's review system for approval. The number pales in comparison to the millions of artists on MySpace and Facebook.

by MacNN Staff