PluggedIn goes live

So, PluggedIn has launched its Public Beta version - presumably, they're keeping the unique selling point back for the full launch. Because it sounds like, well, everything else:

Filter the noise. Hear the music.
Join today and personalize your experience!
PluggedIn.com is a place to get the hottest music videos, photos, blogs, news, recommendations and more, from artists that matter most to you - in one place. You can:

* Save the stuff you like, create playlists and share them.
* Promote your taste in music and meet other music fans.
* Get recommendations based on the music you like.

We love the implication about "filtering the noise" as if the internet is so difficult to navigate that hip-hop fans spend their time mournfully downloading the Oliver soundtrack while fans of folk can only ever discover Napalm Death tracks when they go onto YouTube. Your proposition is poor if you're having to pretend you're solving a problem that doesn't exist.

And while community features are fun, aren't the public starting to tire of sites which launch like that map in Blackadder ("could you just fill it in as you go along, please?") - there's loads of sites that will tell you what other songs are a bit like the songs you're currently listening to, numerous places on the web to watch videos and make a list of bands that you like. Why come and do it all over again on PluggedIn?

Sure, they've got licensed videos, but only 10,000 - the cupboard is so bare, one of the "hottest music videos" they're promoting on their homepage, on launch day, is Eminem's Lose Yourself, which while not quite of pensionable age is at least old enough to stay up past midnight and buy beer without being asked for ID.

Will Smith and his Overbrook backers have put two million into the project, which at least is money they can afford to lose.