When you start going out with someone, it’s important to hit the right note with them – especially with Christmas fast approaching. And Fellody promises to help music lovers meet and enjoy a bit of online flirting with people who have the same tastes in music.
A mixture between music, matchmaking and social networking, Fellody is aimed at getting people together who won’t argue over what to listen to in the car – and who can easily think of the perfect festive present. Musical gifts are once again at the top of many Christmas wish lists, and according to a recent study by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (the German Music Industry Association), every second person will buy their partner music in the form of CDs, download gift vouchers or concert tickets.
This suggests that music remains one of the most important shared elements between people – especially when it comes to finding a partner. So thought two music lovers, Rovin Simon and Thomnas Vatter, when they founded Fellody earlier this year. Based in the Swiss city of Zurich, the name is a play on the words flirt and melody, and it is a free dating platform that brings users together based on their musical tastes.
In order to do the music matching, Fellody analyses the listening habits of users with a desktop client that scans music libraries in iTunes and Windows Media Player. Last.fm users can also link their profile with their Fellody account. In the analysis, it is not only the genre of music or the specific artist which is important, but for example also how often songs are played. Music which is not listened to very often will be discarded.
This creates an accurate profile of a user’s musical tastes, which is then compared to other people on Fellody. Users are then given a ranking list of those who fit best with their musical preferences. A personal questionnaire with categories like Style, Dating and Life also complements the matching.
Sharing Music with Groupies
Users can contact each other with a flirt message or by sending a friend request – friends on Fellody being known as groupies. And the community also has many more features for the mutual exchange of music. Each user can, for example, share their favourite music with groupies directly via Soundcloud link, and music videos (via YouTube and Vimeo link) can also be shared publicly or with friends.
“The idea for Fellody came from a concert. We looked around the crowd and discovered that all the concertgoers matched one another, broadcasting a common wavelength,” said co-founder Thomas Vatter. “With Fellody, we want offer exactly these people a platform for them to get to know each other and compare notes. The common taste in music instantly creates a unifying topic and helps them get to know each other.”
Fellow co-founder Robin Simon said: “The holiday season is for many singles melancholy rather than festive, and this feeling is intensified through the inevitable songs like ‘Last Christmas.’ In the Fellody community, singles can escape the whole sentimental Christmas nonsense by comparing notes with others with a similar musical taste and by forging new friendships.”