Somojo - The future for radio?

I was sent a link today to a new online radio service called Somojo (hat-tip to Mikee @ Broccoli Music – many thanks sir), and it looks quite interesting.

Basically it is a site in the mould of last.fm, where bands can sign themselves up and upload tracks to be listened to from their page – either through streaming, downloading, or even purchasing.  Once the service is fully up and running, and there are enough tracks online, Somojo will create playlists just like any online radio station as well as putting together specific programmes to cater for particular crowds.

So far, so same.  The main differentiator to other similar sites, though, seems to be in the sales section of the site.  Not only can bands put their tracks up for sale, but can also sell merchandise, photos, and even gig tickets through the service (for which the site takes a split on sales).  This ‘one-stop-shop’ idea is an attractive one, and should especially appeal to those bands at the lower end of the touring scale.

The site itself is laid out in a cheery shade of orange, and seems very much a work in progress. The layout will have to be worked on if it aims to be attractive to look at and functional to use – at the moment it looks too scrappy, and the fact that any new news items posted by bands go straight onto the front page in full doesn’t lend itself to easy scanning for news items. Sticking to a set style guide, and putting the news items in brief would certainly make it look better.  As would changing the rather alarming font…

Overall, the launch of Somojo marks another venture in a market that is growing but not yet saturated.  It remains to be seen whether the take-up from the band community will be strong enough to drive interest, but I would recommend it regardless.  It's a good concept, and anywhere where bands can post music and people can access it is always a positive place to be...