Last.fm Debuts Applications Gallery

Last.fm Debuts Applications Gallery

"Build.last.fm" showcases five years of developer innovation using social music network's open Web services

Activity around external applications and widgets adds estimated 19 million music fans to Last.fm community

NEW YORK and LONDON, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Last.fm today launched a new section called Build.last.fm (http://build.last.fm/), a gallery promoting the ever-growing number of Last.fm third-party applications that extend the Last.fm experience across the Web.

Built by fans and partners of the social music discovery network, Build.last.fm organizes and showcases the many Last.fm applications and widgets that have been developed using the site's open platform architecture and free Web service tools, which have been available since 2003.

Last.fm estimates that activity around third-party applications on other Web sites added 19 million music fans to its user base in January, in addition to the 21 million active users engaging with the Last.fm site itself.

Richard Jones, Last.fm co-founder, said: "We opened up Last.fm to developers right from the start, allowing anyone to create and distribute their own unique slice of the Last.fm experience on their own Web sites and platforms. We'll be moving into mobile, games consoles and partnering with other great media platforms to guarantee that Last.fm continues to drive the best music discovery and listening on the Web. We're excited by the idea that, as these apps spread across other platforms, you'll be able to use your Last.fm profile anywhere to make new music discoveries."

In addition to all the applications already available, the gallery will showcase a growing number of new third-party developments, including an application from Realtime World's new massively-multiplayer online game APB, that will allow players to sync their game music from their computer through Last.fm, among others.

Martin Stiksel, Last.fm co-founder, said: "Our Web services will be massively expanded in 2008, and Build.last.fm is the cornerstone of that strategy. The developer community is an integral part of the Last.fm experience and is really what makes the Last.fm platform so strong. We are pleased to provide it -- and all our fans -- with more opportunities to build the best music applications out there. We invite anyone who wants to bring some exposure to their apps to http://build.last.fm/ to let us all know what you're doing."

   Other examples of Last.fm applications include:    -- The BBC, which uses Last.fm's Web services to allow music fans      listening to its radio stations to grab widgets, enabling them to add      desired tracks to their own Last.fm profiles.    -- Skype, which enables users to listen to personalized radio and share      their music taste with their Skype friends.    -- FriendFeed, a start-up that helps friends share all their online      discoveries, and includes the ability to share Last.fm Loved Tracks.      Said Bret Taylor, CEO and Founder, "We have been continually impressed      with the degree of openness and technical innovation in the      Audioscrobbler Web Services APIs. Last.fm's developer products set a      high standard for other social Web sites."     About Last.fm  

Founded in 2002, Last.fm is the largest global free music platform on the Web. Last.fm can offer music fans millions of tracks in every genre for free-on-demand streaming thanks to partnerships with Universal, EMI, Warner Music Group, Sony BMG, CD Baby, independent aggregators The Orchard and IODA, and more than 150,000 independent artists and labels -- without the need to sign up or download any software. As well as being able to access tracks for free -- a service which has seen Last.fm become the fastest-growing free online music network in the U.S. -- music fans can also share their music preferences by linking their media player to the Last.fm database. As a result, Last.fm can intelligently recommend songs, artists, local concerts and even other members based on their musical tastes. Last.fm also supports unsigned artists by offering them an unprecedented Artist Royalty program through which they can earn revenue directly from Last.fm every time their music is streamed. Learn more about Last.fm at www.last.fm.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: KJorgensen@cbs.com

Source: CBS Corporation

CONTACT: In New York, Shannon Jacobs, +1-212-975-3161, sljacobs@cbs.com;
In London, Christian Ward, +44 (0) 20 7780 7080, christian@last.fm

Web site: http://build.last.fm/
http://www.last.fm/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/965075.html

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Profile: International Entertainment