Twitter #music launches

Twitter has launched a service that allows users to find music they like and tweet songs from iTunes, Spotify and Rdio.

Twitter #music uses information from Twitter to detect popular tracks as well as new artists.

It works by showing you an image of an artist. Tap the play button to hear a short clip of a song that represents their music. Tap another button to buy from iTunes or play full songs from that artist if you're signed up to Spotify or Rdio. Or, of course, tweet about it.

Twitter says this service will "change the way people find music".

There was much talk about Twitter launching a music service recently after the company acquired Australian music start-up 'We Are Hunted'.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Larry Iser, a Los Angeles music lawyer whose firm represents Justin Bieber says:

"Social media is the current and the next frontier in terms of marketing everything. One tweet from Justin Bieber can launch a new product or a new artist. It makes sense Twitter wants to come to the space and do what Myspace has been trying to do for years."

This would surely open a new revenue channel for Twitter with partners like Apple iTunes paying per referral, although Rdio and Spotify don't pay.

A few hours after Twitter Music went live, Rdio's VP of product, Malthe Sigurdsson, said new sign-ups and plays on Rdio were "spiking" and "this is looking really good."

Twitter #music is currently only available in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Britain, Ireland and the US and only for iPhone and web.

Read more in the Sydney Morning Herald here.