Is Facebook the Next Big Thing in Music?- Click here http://bit.ly/qPJDnK for full article

Is Facebook the Next Big Thing in Music?- Click here http://bit.ly/qPJDnK for full article

Facebook saw a bevy a new features and changes recently, and while they have been met with mixed reactions, it looks as though they may be just the start of something even bigger. As Facebook gets even closer to a billion users, more changes are coming and this time they have to do with how users share their music. Will these changes make Facebook the go-to site for music?

While illegal file-sharing is certainly not a part of their plans, reports state that Facebook is reaching out with many legal music services to deliver a new sharing experience for its users. For instance, they are partnering with Spotify, which allows users to listen to streaming music for free. In addition to the ad-supported free version, Spotify also offers a paid-for subscription that is completely ad-free. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek spoke at the 2011 Facebook F8 conference to announce that Facebook would be partnering with Spotify. He detailed a plan to have users connect with not only words, but by sharing music as well. Facebook's nearly one billion users will be able to play music shared by their friends over Spotify right from their browser without leaving Facebook at all. He also stated that Facebook's Spotify users are also more likely to purchase music.

These changes to Facebook are sure to please music lovers, but many of the other recent changes didn't sit so well with all of their users. Recent changes to the site include larger photos, a newly designed News Feed complete with live ticker, and a subscription service for users to stay on top of what certain friends are doing. Some are happy with the changes, but others have complained that the changes are simply trying to compete with other sites like Twitter and Google Plus.

Since Facebook is close to a billion users, it is more important than ever for businesses to develop some social networking integration into their business plans. When Facebook users have the option to immediately purchase songs they've just heard thanks to Facebook's partnering with Spotify, the music industry may see untold benefits. These same benefits could come to businesses of all types, but the first step is to integrate aspects of these businesses with social networking sites like Facebook. Facebook holds close to a billion potential customers, and that is something that every business would be remiss to pass up.