The document discusses the growth and development of Last.fm, the world's largest social music platform. It describes how Last.fm started in 2004 and grew rapidly by being open with its data and involving users. As it grew from 20 to 40+ employees in 6 months, it emphasized radiating information across the company through simple tools like IRC chat logs. The excerpt shows developers coordinating fixes and improvements in real-time.

1. Lessons from Building
The World’s Largest
Social Music Platform
Matthew Ogle & Anil Bawa Cavia
FoWA 2007

5. How does it work?

6. How does it work?
Listen
- to your own music
- to Last.fm radio

7. How does it work?
Listen
- to your own music
- to Last.fm radio
Share
-your taste
instead of files
- automatic, via
“scrobbling”

8. How does it work?
Listen
- to your own music
- to Last.fm radio
Share
-your taste
instead of files
- automatic, via
“scrobbling”
Discover
- via your friends
- via people with
similar taste

9. How does it work?
Listen
- to your own music
- to Last.fm radio
Share
-your taste
instead of files
- automatic, via
“scrobbling”
Discover
- via your friends
- via people with
similar taste

11. 15 million tracks scrobbled / day

12. 15 million tracks scrobbled / day
(175 scrobbles per second)

13. 15 million tracks scrobbled / day
(175 scrobbles per second)
Over 6 billion tracks scrobbled since 2003

14. 15 million tracks scrobbled / day
(175 scrobbles per second)
Over 6 billion tracks scrobbled since 2003
10 million artists

15. 15 million tracks scrobbled / day
(175 scrobbles per second)
Over 6 billion tracks scrobbled since 2003
10 million artists
70 million tracks

16. 15 million tracks scrobbled / day
(175 scrobbles per second)
Over 6 billion tracks scrobbled since 2003
10 million artists
70 million tracks
700k tracks streamable on Last.fm radio

17. 15 million tracks scrobbled / day
(175 scrobbles per second)
Over 6 billion tracks scrobbled since 2003
10 million artists
70 million tracks
700k tracks streamable on Last.fm radio
17 million items tagged

18. 15 million tracks scrobbled / day
(175 scrobbles per second)
Over 6 billion tracks scrobbled since 2003
10 million artists
70 million tracks
700k tracks streamable on Last.fm radio
17 million items tagged
145k artist wikis

19. Last.fm World Domination Headquarters
Whitechapel, London, 2004

20. Early Growth Lessons

21. Early Growth Lessons
Don’t overextend – scale with your growth, not before

22. Early Growth Lessons
Don’t overextend – scale with your growth, not before
Make sure revenue sources scale with increased usage

23. Early Growth Lessons
Don’t overextend – scale with your growth, not before
Make sure revenue sources scale with increased usage
Google ads

24. Early Growth Lessons
Don’t overextend – scale with your growth, not before
Make sure revenue sources scale with increased usage
Google ads
User subscriptions

25. Early Growth Lessons
Don’t overextend – scale with your growth, not before
Make sure revenue sources scale with increased usage
Google ads
User subscriptions
Involve users in your web application’s story

26. Early Growth Lessons
Don’t overextend – scale with your growth, not before
Make sure revenue sources scale with increased usage
Google ads
User subscriptions
Involve users in your web application’s story
Make growth a selfish aim for existing users

27. Early Growth Lessons
Don’t overextend – scale with your growth, not before
Make sure revenue sources scale with increased usage
Google ads
User subscriptions
Involve users in your web application’s story
Make growth a selfish aim for existing users
Be as open as you can afford

28. Audioscrobbler.com homepage, late 2004

29. Openness and Growth

30. Openness and Growth
In 2004, we had a cool service, but needed data

31. Openness and Growth
In 2004, we had a cool service, but needed data
Audioscrobbler Protocol 1.0

32. Openness and Growth
In 2004, we had a cool service, but needed data
Audioscrobbler Protocol 1.0
Webservices for accessing users’ music profile data

33. Openness and Growth
In 2004, we had a cool service, but needed data
Audioscrobbler Protocol 1.0
Webservices for accessing users’ music profile data
Together, provided “round trip” incentive for plugin developers

34. Openness and Growth
In 2004, we had a cool service, but needed data
Audioscrobbler Protocol 1.0
Webservices for accessing users’ music profile data
Together, provided “round trip” incentive for plugin developers
Winamp, iTunes, WMP, Amarok

35. Openness and Growth
In 2004, we had a cool service, but needed data
Audioscrobbler Protocol 1.0
Webservices for accessing users’ music profile data
Together, provided “round trip” incentive for plugin developers
Winamp, iTunes, WMP, Amarok
Foobar, QCD, mpd, XMMS, mpg321

36. Openness and Growth
In 2004, we had a cool service, but needed data
Audioscrobbler Protocol 1.0
Webservices for accessing users’ music profile data
Together, provided “round trip” incentive for plugin developers
Winamp, iTunes, WMP, Amarok
Foobar, QCD, mpd, XMMS, mpg321
Noatun, Quod Libet, Jinzora, Ampache

37. Openness and Growth
In 2004, we had a cool service, but needed data
Audioscrobbler Protocol 1.0
Webservices for accessing users’ music profile data
Together, provided “round trip” incentive for plugin developers
Winamp, iTunes, WMP, Amarok
Foobar, QCD, mpd, XMMS, mpg321
Noatun, Quod Libet, Jinzora, Ampache
(and dozens more)

38. Openness and Users

39. Openness and Users
Involve non-technical users as well

40. Openness and Users
Involve non-technical users as well
Promote a community around your application

41. Openness and Users
Involve non-technical users as well
Promote a community around your application
Talk to your users (bad news > no news)

42. Openness and Users
Involve non-technical users as well
Promote a community around your application
Talk to your users (bad news > no news)
More likely to tolerate growing pains…

47. Moving into the new office
Old Street, London, May 2006

48. Growing up

49. process
Growing up

50. process
product
Growing up

51. process
product
Growing up

52. process
product
Growing up
• 20 to 40+ employees in 6 months

53. process
product
Growing up
• 20 to 40+ employees in 6 months
• “people trump process”

54. process
product
Growing up
• 20 to 40+ employees in 6 months
• “people trump process”
• simple tools are effective tools

55. process
product
Growing up
• 20 to 40+ employees in 6 months
• “people trump process”
• simple tools are effective tools
• radiate information across different
channels in the company

56. Growing up
process excerpt from #last.fm irc channel

57. Growing up
process excerpt from #last.fm irc channel
irccat: SVN commit by norman (23872) 'randomSplitter: splits data into train and test sets randomly' (changeset: https://admindev.last.fm/
trac/changeset/23872)

58. Growing up
process excerpt from #last.fm irc channel
irccat: SVN commit by norman (23872) 'randomSplitter: splits data into train and test sets randomly' (changeset: https://admindev.last.fm/
trac/changeset/23872)
3:40 PM

59. Growing up
process excerpt from #last.fm irc channel
irccat: SVN commit by norman (23872) 'randomSplitter: splits data into train and test sets randomly' (changeset: https://admindev.last.fm/
trac/changeset/23872)
3:40 PM
irccat: *** jonty is refreshing webnodes now: 'Fix for group owners'

60. Growing up
process excerpt from #last.fm irc channel
irccat: SVN commit by norman (23872) 'randomSplitter: splits data into train and test sets randomly' (changeset: https://admindev.last.fm/
trac/changeset/23872)
3:40 PM
irccat: *** jonty is refreshing webnodes now: 'Fix for group owners'
mischa: jonty: memcache key should be set to: java-playlist-10093 where 10093 ==userid.

61. Growing up
process excerpt from #last.fm irc channel
irccat: SVN commit by norman (23872) 'randomSplitter: splits data into train and test sets randomly' (changeset: https://admindev.last.fm/
trac/changeset/23872)
3:40 PM
irccat: *** jonty is refreshing webnodes now: 'Fix for group owners'
mischa: jonty: memcache key should be set to: java-playlist-10093 where 10093 ==userid.
irccat: Trac: ticket #1779 (http://support.last.fm/trac/ticket/1779) changed by julian, Comment: Fixed for the next release..

62. Growing up
process excerpt from #last.fm irc channel
irccat: SVN commit by norman (23872) 'randomSplitter: splits data into train and test sets randomly' (changeset: https://admindev.last.fm/
trac/changeset/23872)
3:40 PM
irccat: *** jonty is refreshing webnodes now: 'Fix for group owners'
mischa: jonty: memcache key should be set to: java-playlist-10093 where 10093 ==userid.
irccat: Trac: ticket #1779 (http://support.last.fm/trac/ticket/1779) changed by julian, Comment: Fixed for the next release..
irccat: number of anon flash streams is 1440, number of registered flash streams is 764

63. Growing up
process excerpt from #last.fm irc channel
irccat: SVN commit by norman (23872) 'randomSplitter: splits data into train and test sets randomly' (changeset: https://admindev.last.fm/
trac/changeset/23872)
3:40 PM
irccat: *** jonty is refreshing webnodes now: 'Fix for group owners'
mischa: jonty: memcache key should be set to: java-playlist-10093 where 10093 ==userid.
irccat: Trac: ticket #1779 (http://support.last.fm/trac/ticket/1779) changed by julian, Comment: Fixed for the next release..
irccat: number of anon flash streams is 1440, number of registered flash streams is 764
felix: hey abc when did you put the adsense leaderboard on bottom cat pages live?

64. Growing up
process excerpt from #last.fm irc channel
irccat: SVN commit by norman (23872) 'randomSplitter: splits data into train and test sets randomly' (changeset: https://admindev.last.fm/
trac/changeset/23872)
3:40 PM
irccat: *** jonty is refreshing webnodes now: 'Fix for group owners'
mischa: jonty: memcache key should be set to: java-playlist-10093 where 10093 ==userid.
irccat: Trac: ticket #1779 (http://support.last.fm/trac/ticket/1779) changed by julian, Comment: Fixed for the next release..
irccat: number of anon flash streams is 1440, number of registered flash streams is 764
felix: hey abc when did you put the adsense leaderboard on bottom cat pages live?
abc: friday

65. Growing up
process excerpt from #last.fm irc channel
irccat: SVN commit by norman (23872) 'randomSplitter: splits data into train and test sets randomly' (changeset: https://admindev.last.fm/
trac/changeset/23872)
3:40 PM
irccat: *** jonty is refreshing webnodes now: 'Fix for group owners'
mischa: jonty: memcache key should be set to: java-playlist-10093 where 10093 ==userid.
irccat: Trac: ticket #1779 (http://support.last.fm/trac/ticket/1779) changed by julian, Comment: Fixed for the next release..
irccat: number of anon flash streams is 1440, number of registered flash streams is 764
felix: hey abc when did you put the adsense leaderboard on bottom cat pages live?
abc: friday
3:45 PM

66. Growing up
process excerpt from #last.fm irc channel
irccat: SVN commit by norman (23872) 'randomSplitter: splits data into train and test sets randomly' (changeset: https://admindev.last.fm/
trac/changeset/23872)
3:40 PM
irccat: *** jonty is refreshing webnodes now: 'Fix for group owners'
mischa: jonty: memcache key should be set to: java-playlist-10093 where 10093 ==userid.
irccat: Trac: ticket #1779 (http://support.last.fm/trac/ticket/1779) changed by julian, Comment: Fixed for the next release..
irccat: number of anon flash streams is 1440, number of registered flash streams is 764
felix: hey abc when did you put the adsense leaderboard on bottom cat pages live?
abc: friday
3:45 PM
mokele: ? lookup track 11082618

67. Growing up
process excerpt from #last.fm irc channel
irccat: SVN commit by norman (23872) 'randomSplitter: splits data into train and test sets randomly' (changeset: https://admindev.last.fm/
trac/changeset/23872)
3:40 PM
irccat: *** jonty is refreshing webnodes now: 'Fix for group owners'
mischa: jonty: memcache key should be set to: java-playlist-10093 where 10093 ==userid.
irccat: Trac: ticket #1779 (http://support.last.fm/trac/ticket/1779) changed by julian, Comment: Fixed for the next release..
irccat: number of anon flash streams is 1440, number of registered flash streams is 764
felix: hey abc when did you put the adsense leaderboard on bottom cat pages live?
abc: friday
3:45 PM
mokele: ? lookup track 11082618
irccat: track.id(11082618) Zetan Spore ??? Subspace Distortion http://www.last.fm/music/Zetan+Spore/_/Subspace+Distortion (lastfm=t)

68. Growing up
process excerpt from #last.fm irc channel
irccat: SVN commit by norman (23872) 'randomSplitter: splits data into train and test sets randomly' (changeset: https://admindev.last.fm/
trac/changeset/23872)
3:40 PM
irccat: *** jonty is refreshing webnodes now: 'Fix for group owners'
mischa: jonty: memcache key should be set to: java-playlist-10093 where 10093 ==userid.
irccat: Trac: ticket #1779 (http://support.last.fm/trac/ticket/1779) changed by julian, Comment: Fixed for the next release..
irccat: number of anon flash streams is 1440, number of registered flash streams is 764
felix: hey abc when did you put the adsense leaderboard on bottom cat pages live?
abc: friday
3:45 PM
mokele: ? lookup track 11082618
irccat: track.id(11082618) Zetan Spore ??? Subspace Distortion http://www.last.fm/music/Zetan+Spore/_/Subspace+Distortion (lastfm=t)
pete_bug: jonty, can you please suspend PP campaign 3670?

69. Growing up
process excerpt from #last.fm irc channel
irccat: SVN commit by norman (23872) 'randomSplitter: splits data into train and test sets randomly' (changeset: https://admindev.last.fm/
trac/changeset/23872)
3:40 PM
irccat: *** jonty is refreshing webnodes now: 'Fix for group owners'
mischa: jonty: memcache key should be set to: java-playlist-10093 where 10093 ==userid.
irccat: Trac: ticket #1779 (http://support.last.fm/trac/ticket/1779) changed by julian, Comment: Fixed for the next release..
irccat: number of anon flash streams is 1440, number of registered flash streams is 764
felix: hey abc when did you put the adsense leaderboard on bottom cat pages live?
abc: friday
3:45 PM
mokele: ? lookup track 11082618
irccat: track.id(11082618) Zetan Spore ??? Subspace Distortion http://www.last.fm/music/Zetan+Spore/_/Subspace+Distortion (lastfm=t)
pete_bug: jonty, can you please suspend PP campaign 3670?
jonty: pete_bug, sure one sec.

70. Growing up
process excerpt from #last.fm irc channel
irccat: SVN commit by norman (23872) 'randomSplitter: splits data into train and test sets randomly' (changeset: https://admindev.last.fm/
trac/changeset/23872)
3:40 PM
irccat: *** jonty is refreshing webnodes now: 'Fix for group owners'
mischa: jonty: memcache key should be set to: java-playlist-10093 where 10093 ==userid.
irccat: Trac: ticket #1779 (http://support.last.fm/trac/ticket/1779) changed by julian, Comment: Fixed for the next release..
irccat: number of anon flash streams is 1440, number of registered flash streams is 764
felix: hey abc when did you put the adsense leaderboard on bottom cat pages live?
abc: friday
3:45 PM
mokele: ? lookup track 11082618
irccat: track.id(11082618) Zetan Spore ??? Subspace Distortion http://www.last.fm/music/Zetan+Spore/_/Subspace+Distortion (lastfm=t)
pete_bug: jonty, can you please suspend PP campaign 3670?
jonty: pete_bug, sure one sec.
irccat: Trac: ticket #1526 (http://support.last.fm/trac/ticket/1526) "group recommendations are slow" created by muz.

71. Growing up
process excerpt from #last.fm irc channel
osmotic communication

72. process
product
Growing up

73. process
product
Growing up
• 15 million unique users a month

74. process
product
Growing up
• 15 million unique users a month
• plan for going global

75. process
product
Growing up
• 15 million unique users a month
• plan for going global
• affiliations should enhance the user
experience

76. process
product
Growing up
• 15 million unique users a month
• plan for going global
• affiliations should enhance the user
experience
• harness critical mass

77. process
product
Growing up
• 15 million unique users a month
• plan for going global
• affiliations should enhance the user
experience
• harness critical mass
• embed your service in others

78. process
product
Growing up
• 15 million unique users a month
• plan for going global
• affiliations should enhance the user
experience
• harness critical mass
• embed your service in others
• make the transition from service to
platform

79. product
Growing up
harness critical mass

80. product
Growing up
harness critical mass

81. product
Growing up
harness critical mass
user-generated content

82. product
Growing up
harness critical mass
user-generated content
network effects of socialization

83. product
Growing up
harness critical mass
user-generated content
network effects of socialization
affiliate services

84. product
Growing up
harness critical mass
user-generated content
user moderation
network effects of socialization
affiliate services

85. product
Growing up
harness critical mass
user-generated content
drives feature design

86. product
Growing up

87. product
Growing up
embed your service in others

88. product
Growing up
embed your service in others
quilts

89. product
Growing up
embed your service in others
quilts charts

90. product
Growing up
embed your service in others
quilts charts radio

91. product
Growing up
embed your service in others
allow users to export

92. product
Growing up

93. product
Growing up
transition from service to platform

94. product
Growing up
transition from service to platform

95. product
Growing up
transition from service to platform

96. product
Growing up
transition from service to platform

97. product
Growing up
transition from service to platform
openness is key to web
platforms

98. Attention and “Myware”

99. Attention and “Myware”

100. Attention and “Myware”
When you pay attention to something (or don’t), data is created

101. Attention and “Myware”
When you pay attention to something (or don’t), data is created
Myware: spying on yourself

102. Attention and “Myware”
When you pay attention to something (or don’t), data is created
Myware: spying on yourself
Attention economy alters traditional meaning of “active user”

103. Attention and “Myware”
When you pay attention to something (or don’t), data is created
Myware: spying on yourself
Attention economy alters traditional meaning of “active user”
Social web + attention aggregators = where the action is

106. Attention data
Monetizing attention

107. Attention data
Monetizing attention
1 - Microchunk it - Reduce the content to its simplest form.

108. Attention data
Monetizing attention
1 - Microchunk it - Reduce the content to its simplest form.
2 - Free it - Put it out there without walls around it or strings on it.

109. Attention data
Monetizing attention
1 - Microchunk it - Reduce the content to its simplest form.
2 - Free it - Put it out there without walls around it or strings on it.
3 - Syndicate it - Let anyone take it and run with it.

110. Attention data
Monetizing attention
1 - Microchunk it - Reduce the content to its simplest form.
2 - Free it - Put it out there without walls around it or strings on it.
3 - Syndicate it - Let anyone take it and run with it.
4 - Monetize it - Put the monetization and tracking systems into the
microchunk.

111. Attention data
Monetizing attention
1 - Microchunk it - Reduce the content to its simplest form.
2 - Free it - Put it out there without walls around it or strings on it.
3 - Syndicate it - Let anyone take it and run with it.
4 - Monetize it - Put the monetization and tracking systems into the
microchunk.
Fred Wilson, The Future of Media, November 2005

112. Attention data
Monetizing attention

113. Attention data
Monetizing attention
Powerplay is sponsored airtime

114. Attention data
Monetizing attention
Powerplay is sponsored airtime
Individualized targeting based on attention history

115. Attention data
Monetizing attention
Powerplay is sponsored airtime
Individualized targeting based on attention history
New attention metrics for reporting

116. Attention data
Monetizing attention
Powerplay is sponsored airtime
Individualized targeting based on attention history
New attention metrics for reporting
No more CPMs - the ‘scrobble’ is our attention unit

117. Case study: tag cloud moderation
Attention data

118. Case study: tag cloud moderation
Attention data
Paris Hilton tag cloud, October 2006

119. Case study: tag cloud moderation
Attention data
Paris Hilton tag cloud, October 2006 Paris Hilton tag cloud, February 2007

120. Attention data
Case study: tag cloud moderation

121. Attention data
Censorship is not acceptable in a folksonomy
Case study: tag cloud moderation

122. Attention data
Censorship is not acceptable in a folksonomy
Attention data does not lie
Case study: tag cloud moderation

123. Attention data
Censorship is not acceptable in a folksonomy
Attention data does not lie
Weigh user tags by volume of attention user gives
to content
Case study: tag cloud moderation

124. Attention data
Censorship is not acceptable in a folksonomy
Attention data does not lie
Weigh user tags by volume of attention user gives
to content
Attention earns trust
Case study: tag cloud moderation

125. Future of Last.fm

126. more
Future of Last.fm

127. more
less
Future of Last.fm

128. more
less
Future of Last.fm

129. more
less
Future of Last.fm
• more growth

130. more
less
Future of Last.fm
• more growth
• more streamable music

131. more
less
Future of Last.fm
• more growth
• more streamable music
• more ambient findability

132. more
less
Future of Last.fm
• more growth
• more streamable music
• more ambient findability
• more personalization /
things you can do with your data

133. more
less
Future of Last.fm

134. more
less
Future of Last.fm
• fewer interfaces

135. more
less
Future of Last.fm
• fewer interfaces
• fewer barriers to entry

136. more
less
Future of Last.fm
• fewer interfaces
• fewer barriers to entry
• fewer gradients?

137. Thank-you.
Questions?
matt@last.fm anil@last.fm