Hacker ‘Discovers’ Facebook Music Service

Facebook could be preparing a music service to build on on its recent tie up with Skype over video chat.

Curious developer and researcher, Jeff Rose, examined the video app’s code last week and appears to have discovered an unannounced application.

Alongside the video app, called Peep in the code, there is another app called Vibes, which Rose says is similar to a music downloading app.

Rose wrote on his blog: “The video chat plugin, called Peep, is what is downloaded now. At some point in the future they seem to be prepared to download another app though, called Facebook Vibes.”

He continued: “The vibes app connects with a music download dialog in the page though, so I’m guessing that with this release we are seeing the seeds for Facebook’s upcoming music offering.”

Facebook has long coveted music

Music has long been on Facebook’s wish-list and it was reported to have made overtures to LastFM in 2008.

And back in May there were rumours of Facebook and Spotify working together on a music streaming service, with a blog on the Forbes website quoting anonymous sources close to the deal that a launch was imminent.

The service did not emerge in a fortnight, as the blog predicted, but the blog does detail some potential features including allowing users to simultaneously listen to music with friends over Facebook.

Response to Google+

The recent launch of Google+ has prompted a rush of activity over at Facebook. Google’s social network features a video chat element of its own, called Huddle, which allows one-to-one chat or group chats for up to ten.

Facebook’s video chat is not called Peep, so it is possible that Vibes will not turn out to be the name of any music service that might materialise.