Unisgned Bands get a Shot with iTunes Affiliate

[from the iHollywood Blog]

Today the Wall Street Journal gave the thumbs-up to iLike, a new web site that works with iTunes to show you what your friends are listening to, and connects you with other listeners who share your taste.

The catch is that iLike is made by the Hartovi brothers, the folks who brought us GarageBand.com, the web site that allows an unsigned band to put its demos on line, receive ratings from users, and potentially create buzz that will awaken the recording industry to its genius.

How has the GarageBand.com connection shaped iLike? Whenever you play a track on iTunes, iLike generates nine tracks it deems similar to the one you're listening to--five of which are already popular, but four of which are unsigned.

How many people listen to four unsigned bands for every five popular bands? Not many. If iLike becomes popular for its social networking aspects, it could create a YouTube effect in music, giving non-professional artists a shot at millions of eardrums.

-Benjamin Nugent