Spotify is trying to capitalize on a few trends in both media and music.  With the trends toward gamification, the merging of program interfaces and the movement toward streaming Spotify is jumping ahead of iTunes by launching a series of applications that can be used within the Spotify interface.  Last.fm is one of the initial names, and arguably one of the more recognizable ones to music geeks as well.

Like all apps, Last.fm can be added to the side bar (under playlists, et al) for easy access.  Easy access is the key word here.  Now, there’s no need to have multiple windows open when hunting for that recommended artist you saw on the last.fm radio, or bet on an algorithm landing you on the right track.

I appreciate how when you pull up the app, the overview page shows you in a clean format all some recommended albums, your recently played songs, your top recent albums, and your recently favorited (loved) tracks.  The downside, as it might be with most Spotify apps,are that people might not see the need for them if already registered online. It would also be nice to see your friends on Last.fm in the interface and see their loved tracks, etc but in the interest of simplicity and easy navigation it might be better this isn’t the case. To those that are new to last.fm, registering is a snap and no doubt the site will see an increase in traffic!