The new release of iTunes (8.0) features iTunes “Genius,” a companion sidebar that provides the ultimate “if you liked that, then you’ll like this” functionality in terms of comprehensiveness and ease of use. Upon first launch Genius examines your music library and then roughly 15 minutes later (length of time depends on the size of your music library) goes into action in the right sidebar of your iTunes interface. Click on a song — any song — and the Genius sidebar displays a list of the most popular songs by that artist that you haven’t purchased yet as well as a secondary listing of similar songs and artists that you might also like. The “favorites” and “just for you” functionality is nothing new of course, a key feature of not only iTunes but also Amazon, Netflix, and many others. The genius of Genius is its higher level of ease-of-use and comprehensiveness (and eventually, as you use it more and as Apple continues to improve it: Accuracy). This “higher level” stems from the close proximity of the Genius to your music library, the way it assimilates itself into your own personal world — your data and your user interface.

Genius and other tools like it continue to become more and more powerful because there is more metadata in the universe. The prefix “meta” means “about,” so metadata is “data about data.” In the universe of Google and Web 2.0, content is no longer king. Data about your content is king. It’s the metadata that helps your content get found more quickly by the people who want it and need it most. Without it, your content could just be a tree falling in the woods. Metadata ensures that the right people hear it. If you are not hearing the word “metadata” come up in discussions about your web site strategy (and we’re not just talking about good old fashioned meta tags), it may be time to consult with an expert to talk ideas. Hint: See previous blog post by Mr. Tucker.