Apple improves Ping with 'Like' button

Now all iTunes members can see social features to easily opt-into the Ping social network

Apple's Ping has the potential to become the next big thing in social media, if it can convert its user base of 160 million iTunes subscribers into Ping members.

One way to do that, of course, is to frequently add cool new features to improve the service. Over the weekend, iTunes released an update to Ping to expand social features across its vast music library. One notable change is that a user can "Like" a song from their library, in a manner similar to the Facebook "Like" button. Users can also post a song to their profile (see image above), so friends, who are a lot more like Twitter followers than Facebook friends, can see that particular song on their feed.

Both of these features allow users to share songs with friends in real time. This immediacy could draw in more active users, since these buttons appear on all iTunes' members profiles. Once an iTunes member who's not a Ping member hits "Like" or "Post," they can opt into the Ping service. 

The new format, which uses a sidebar, to access Ping updates from your library, is a change from the initial design, where you had to choose the Ping tab, from the options on the left, in order to use the service at all. This means that you can see the updates, that your friends and favorite artists, post in a side bar, without leaving your library.

The update, labeled 'iTunes 10.0.1 update', also allows users to rent HD TV shows for $.99, enables easier media sharing with the new generation of iPod's, and play music wirelessly with AirPlay, provided you have compatible speakers . In addition, it fixes several bugs to iTunes. Most notably, the fluctuation of video quality, during playback of TV shows and films, when the controls are visible on the screen.

The Ping service reached one million users, earlier in the month, after only 48 hours in operation, received mixed reviews, in its initial version. Most negative feedback was about its usefulness as a social networking site. Its new update, seems to be adding some of the features, that will make the social network, a bit more like what users expect.

Apple was not avalible for comment at this time.

(Image from Teachtree)