Twitter released an update to the Twitter #music iPhone app today that should make it easier to explore different types of music.
Previously, you could find different artists in the app through two charts, Popular and Emerging. And Popular was the real focus — that’s where you were taken when you opened the app. Which makes sense, since the goal of Twitter #music is to highlight the music that’s most popular on Twitter.
But if you’re not interested in the absolute top of the charts, the updated app allows you to focus on the types of music that interest you. You can explore Twitter #music based on genres like heavy metal and hip hop, and there are also new charts, specifically Superstars, Unearthed, and Hunted. (Unearthed focuses on “hidden talent found in the tweets” and Hunted highlights “popular music on blogs.” Superstars seems self-explanatory.) And Twitter is highlighting all of the new options by opening the app in a Charts/Genres navigation screen, rather than taking you directly to Popular.
Twitter already added genres and charts to the web version of #music, so this seems like another sign that it’s looking at the website as the place to introduce and perhaps experiment with new features. Other recent additions to the website include a list of an musician’s most-tweeted tracks and similar artists.
Oh, and for Rdio users, the new update is supposed to move the authentication process into the app itself, rather than pushing you out to Safari.