Rhapsody’s new Listener Network wants to be like ‘Tinder for music lovers’

Music streaming company Rhapsody has launched a new set of features to better connect its users to one another, drive bigger subscription numbers, and compete with bigger services like Apple Music and Spotify.

The newly-announced Listener Network offers a series of new ways for Rhapsody users to connect and share music with one another, as well as discover new and unique bands they may not have heard of. The new features are powered by what the company calls its Music Intelligence Engine.

“We used to exchange mix tapes with friends and burn songs onto CDs to create the perfect playlists for parties, car rides, and study sessions,” Rhapsody Senior Director Nathan Rozendaal said in a press release. “With the Listener Network, we’re channeling the spirit of peer-to-peer sharing that Napster inspired years ago by building a community that encourages members to interact with each other to find new music.”

Enticing new features showcased by the new Listener Network include personalized user profiles, Facebook friend lookup, and matched playlists, which give users personalized playlists for other listeners they’re matched with on the service based on overlapping sonic tastes.

Also new to the service are enhanced music discovery features, which generate daily playlists based on what a listener’s network has been jamming to. You can also seek out music from listeners like you, as Rhapsody recommends songs based on your similar listening habits.

By adding more social features, Rhapsody looks to compete with similarly socially-integrated competitors like Spotify, whose Discovery Weekly playlist is extremely popular among subscribers. But by giving users a daily, more on-demand ability to seek out new tunes, Rhapsody hopes to go beyond what Spotify currently offers.

“As we celebrate 15 years in music streaming, today’s update continues our commitment to bring you closer to your friends and favorite artists, making it easier to discover new and trending music,” Rozendaal said. “Like a Tinder for music lovers, we’re helping fans around the world find their music match and create the best community for music discovery, listening and sharing.”

To find out more about Rhapsody’s newly-minted features, check out the company’s website.