Groovebug aims to solve (or help) the issue of musical serendipity in the iPad way. I like this, so I will probably like this, and I get nicely done biographical info on the artist, preplays on music (all the tracks available in iTunes, yes, the app makes money via affiliate), and videos (YouTube).
Groovebug solves the iPad factor very nicely, but has issues when it comes the other two parts. Videos via YouTube can sometimes be very, let’s say, demanding on the eyes and ears. And the important serendipity stuff – I like this, so I’ll probably like that – should be done with one of those music finders that is already out there, e.g. Music Map. I suspect that they offer curated lists at the moment, for suggesting similar artists they have vetted, put affilliated tracks against and chosen appropriate videos for. That makes sense to ensure a good first experience, but has it’s limits. There are most likely more than the 23 bands listed in the genre Nu Metal, more than 21 in Funk Metal. Chances are that I already know the mainstream answers to the trivia question “name a funk metal” band and am looking to expand my horizon.
But, I am hopeful that future updates will solve some of the issues, this could be a fun app for the couch surfing 😉