Social music service Imeem is preparing to launch some new features. The site, which lets you search for and stream songs from a large library of material, has announced a handful of changes on the way as it tries to compete with services such as the recently debuted MySpace Music.
Imeem’s home page will be getting an update, according to CNet News , and will gain new featured content sections. Users will also soon be able to browse through the site’s most played tracks to find songs they might like. Other additions include a “discover” feature, which recommends songs based on past preferences, and specific artist-oriented pages that bring all of a performer’s material into one place.
While it does offer mainstream music, Imeem appears to be working to set itself apart from MySpace Music by focusing also on the lesser-known, indie-style acts — plus on the fact that its playlists can be embedded anywhere, not just within a single social network’s profiles.
Aside from the slightly annoying account that’s required to do much, I’ve generally found Imeem to be quite easy to use and have been happy with my experiences in the past. I’m not sure the upcoming changes — at least, as they’re being described now — will make a significant impact on the site’s appeal or success. The service’s real challenge will simply be drawing people in, particularly when the big name brands are offering integrated streaming solutions within social networking and even within searching .
