The best music information Web site just got more powerful. The All Music Guide, long considered indispensable to the online music aficionado, has launched a new version of the Allmusic site(http://www.allmusic.com), which adds expanded artist information, new browsing options, and powerful search and sorting features.
Now you can search by record label, as well as the usual option to search by name, album, or song. What's more, you can narrow your searches by using multiple criteria. Now, for instance, you can search for all "Alternative Country" albums that have an AMG rating of 4 or 5 stars. Then you can sort the resulting listing by date, and see which of these albums was released in 2004 (there were 21). Want to know which artists share your birthday? You can find out by using the artist search feature, which lets you search for artists by genre, instrument, birthday, and birthplace.
Finding Sunday Afternoon Music
Those who are working on playlists and music mixes will like Allmusic's new "Explore By" menus, which let you browse music by mood, theme, instrument, and country of origin. Previously you could only browse music by genre and style. Suppose you are looking for some particular mood music; you can now choose from such entries as "literary", "thuggish", and "playful". Each mood contains links to related moods. Browse the listing of "playful" music and you will see links to "ironic", "campy", and "whimsical" music. Browseable themes include "night driving", "scary music", "girls night out", and "stay in bed" (which, in turn, links to "Sunday afternoon", "illness", and "reflection"). The "Explore by Instrument" option lets you find music played with specific instruments, from the saxophone to the glass harmonica.
Expanded artist information includes more comprehensive song lists and credits, more pictures, and an awards and charts tab which lists Grammy awards and Billboard chart rankings. Newly added 30 second music samples let you preview the music that you find. These samples are streamed in Microsoft's WMA format, and require that you have Windows Media Player installed on your PC in order to listen to them. You can also elect to receive a weekly e-mail newsletter listing "noteworthy new releases", with links to on-site reviews provided.
With this release, AllMusic has folded in the contents of their classical music Web site, AllClassical.com. Now users can browse a single, integrated Web site which combines popular and classical music.
Registration Required
The one catch is that the Allmusic now requires that users register, free of charge, and login to get access to most of the new features. Though this login can be automated, the change is certain to annoy a few users. At least one user I know is unhappy with the changes made to the familiar interface she has grown accustomed to using. In truth, the site isn't quite as easy to use as the old version. Overall though, the added features are worth it. The best online music information Web site has just gotten better.
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