FaceBook has introduced a new affinity group sponsored by Geffen Records. Users can download new, free tracks from Foo Fighters, Weezer, Kaiser Chiefs and others simply by clicking in. Video links and upcoming tours are also listed.
This seems interesting from a few perspectives. FaceBook has experimented with a few kinds of sponsored-groups, perhaps most prominently with the Apple Group that has graced many a profile. MySpace has done exactly this in the past -- yes, even with Geffen Records. So if FaceBook seems understandably keen to borrow MySpace's most effective features, Geffen seems likewise open to "playing the field." That may imply a highly positive opinion of FaceBook's user base on Geffen's part, or perhaps low confidence in the general "stickiness" of social networking sites.
I imagine both FaceBook and MySpace will continue to experiment with new features and media types in coming weeks and months. Flash-player functionality that allows users to play audio directly within the FaceBook group page suggests that more is coming in this regard. I personally might prefer to avoid a third-party content war with NewsCorp, but then again sometimes content isn't everything.
It seems unlikely that FaceBook plans to follow at every step of the way, furthermore. FaceBook "press guy" Chris Hughes actually told Doug and I not long ago, for example, that FaceBook plans to introduce a "new alternative to blogging." We'll all find out what that means soon enough. In the meantime, check out "Geffen Records: New Hip-Hop, Rock, and Pop Music for Free's Profile" and hope Mark and the gang get down to work on some better group names.
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