BBM Music - It's not you, it's me

By Michelle Haag on 17 Sep 2011 02:21 pm

It's not you, it's me. No, really, it's not necessarily your fault I won't add you to BBM. Ever since I got my first BlackBerry, a Curve 8320, I've not been keen on adding anyone and everyone to my BlackBerry Messenger list. The few times I did add someone random didn't go well and I quickly decided that this portion of my BlackBerry life was going to be contained to people I talk to regularly, or have a specific need to have on my contact list.

When the BlackBerry Messenger social platform was announced, I was curious how all of these BBM integrated apps would fit into my personal philosophy. Foursquare, games… no problem. I was comfortable with the amount of information shared with my contacts. Then along came BBM Music.

BlackBerry Music sharing service coming soon...

Now, the way BBM Music works in a nutshell: you install the app on your BlackBerry and add contacts initially via BBM friends that also have the app, or by email, etc. So far, so good. Say you add five friends. Then they each add five friends. Here is where it gets a little trickier. These 25 new people that you may or may not know can now add you to their BBM Music contacts and you can add them. Not only that, their contacts and contact's contacts - well basically a whole slew of people - can add you. The concept is all well and good, because all you're doing is sharing music, right? Accepting add requests in BBM Music doesn't automatically add these new people to your actual BBM list. Once I found that out I felt much more comfortable accepting anyone who wanted to add me.

I have seen some misconceptions about BBM Music, as people assume (maybe because of the name) that when you approve someone's request then you're adding them to be BBM friends. While I'm glad this isn't the case, RIM hasn't exactly made it easy on us anti-social people. From within the BBM Music app, people can send you requests to add them to BBM. Of course, you don't have to accept the requests - I didn't add anyone from the requests I received - but when looking through the options in BBM Music, I couldn't see a way to opt out of getting these requests in the first place. It turned out that the only way to disable the requests was through BBM itself which is all well and good, but not the first place I think most people would have looked.

It may sound mean, but I'm not looking for friends, I just want to check out your music. I know I'm not the only one that feels this way, and I don't feel there is any shame in admitting it. If you feel like I do, you don't have to stay away from BBM Music, at least not for that reason. Yes, it's advertised as making music a "social experience", but you set the level of social interaction based on your comfort level, which puts you in complete control, just like you like it.

Check out the BBM Music forums for friends to add, troubleshooting, and more!

Topics: Social Networking BBM Editorial

Michelle Haag 1140 (articles) 1618 (forum posts)

41 comments

jperinger Sep 17, 2011 at 2:24 pm

First! Um, I mean... yeah, I have no idea why I loaded this app...

togardergrosse Sep 17, 2011 at 2:27 pm

Really? Michelle? Your network is limited on EDGE?? :p

Michelle Haag Sep 17, 2011 at 2:31 pm

lol yeah, I have a Rogers Bold 9900 on T-Mobile. :P

togardergrosse Sep 17, 2011 at 3:40 pm

Now that's what I called a "CrackBerry Abuser" :D

JasunX Sep 17, 2011 at 2:28 pm

HAHAHA - that is so awesome - it's not you, it's me heeheehee classy.

TomCanuck Sep 17, 2011 at 2:33 pm

i'm right there with ya. the last thing i want is to add strangers to BBM. I keep my PIN more secretive than i do my phone number haha. also... strangers are just more people to delete after they send a broadcast message

PicmanPanther Sep 17, 2011 at 2:48 pm

Well at least your guys got that far! I couldn't even talk any of my BBM contacts into trying the Music App(Beta). All I was able to get out of it was 50 songs, that really, I had anyway!
Could have added people I don't know, and went that route, but then I have people on BBM I don't even know, and that bothers me. Not that I am a prude or anything, but I agree with Juggalo20 and the article about privacy and having control!

Michelle Haag Sep 17, 2011 at 2:51 pm

Again, you don't have to add them to BBM to add them to BBM Music. :)

TomCanuck Sep 17, 2011 at 3:04 pm

they still get your PIN though dont they? and you may be able to block BBM requests, but can you block PIN messages from them asking why you declined their BBM invite? ;p as far as i know you cant block a PIN message, please correct me if i'm wrong

belfastdispatcher Sep 17, 2011 at 3:42 pm

No, they don't see your pin, they can only invite you to BBM, They don't see your PIN at all.

Edit- you can block PINs in the Blackberry Firewall Settings. Pins, sms and personal and enterprise emails.

Michelle Haag Sep 17, 2011 at 3:48 pm

I thought they couldn't see it either, but I discovered they can, when they send the BBM add request.

I just don't accept the requests, and if they have a problem well too bad, it's my BBM and I don't have to add you if I don't want to. :P

belfastdispatcher Sep 17, 2011 at 3:56 pm

He he, that's ok, I'm already your bbm music contact ;)

I don't see what the big deal is tho, do people actually get upset if you don't add them to your bbm?

I accept some and ignore others, broadcasters get deleted and ignored.

sir.dangerfield Sep 17, 2011 at 4:23 pm

you're right, It's that simple. Don't accept unknown requests, and If I accidentally accept someone, I just as easily delete them. I love that I can have my pin out there and that doesn't mean everyone can communicate with me, but anyone could. This works great for me if someone new has a Real Estate related question.

TomCanuck Sep 17, 2011 at 11:27 pm

Blanket blocking unknown PINs is a little to drastic for me... There's been situations where I've gotten a PIN from an unknown pin number but for good reason. I'd prefer a blacklist but oh well, to each their own. ^_^ I'll keep guarding my PIN lol

PiotrJot Sep 17, 2011 at 2:49 pm

Michelle: thank you! Now I will try this app, as you cleared few things for me, as I feel very same way about making my PIN 'public' :)

scootnyinzer Sep 17, 2011 at 2:56 pm

I know many BB users and I have never met one who had a CLUE about BBM. You want my PIN? Like for my ATM card? One friend has a work BB and everything even remotely fun, including BBM, was removed by IT. Such a shame that in the US, the BB is, for many, an electronic leash, issued by an employer, stripped of anything with fun potential and kept in service 3-5 years. In this context, BB hatred is anything but irrational.

siddo_d Sep 17, 2011 at 3:21 pm

Thid is so true!

wowreally Sep 17, 2011 at 4:03 pm

I must say i agree with you I keep my bbm just as i keep my phone number private.

before i add a BBM contact I think about it; do i want this person having complete contact with my at their leisure (as long as my phone is on? and my phone is almost always is) I mean at anytime a contact wants to send you a message they can 3am, 4am, 5am, in a meeting, etc...

I have 32 bbm contacts my relatives and close friends. NO Business associates because if its business I like to keep it in writing. Now grant it some of my friends i do business/small projects for but they know if they need something done professionally to email me if they start a business convo i just say "hey send me a email so i can read and respond appropriately"

Blackberry_boffin Sep 17, 2011 at 4:05 pm

Well it is still in beta so these opinions matter more to RIM than most of us. I just think in these social networking mad times BBM Music is as innovative as they come and if played well can be a game changer for RIM. If only the rest of the team is so creative.

belfastdispatcher Sep 17, 2011 at 4:09 pm

BBM Music needs a cache all songs button.

robertdusa Sep 17, 2011 at 4:40 pm

It's one of the menu options when you're on the 'my music' tab. Just note that if you have a song highlighted, the option is much further down the menu.

Also noticed that it's best to refresh your songs before you cache your songs. Sometimes you won't cache newly added songs if you don't refresh.

belfastdispatcher Sep 17, 2011 at 4:44 pm

I meant all songs from all your contacts.

jon4400 Sep 17, 2011 at 4:57 pm

Someone got a very dominating boyfriend :p

ridesno159 Sep 17, 2011 at 6:00 pm

Thank You!

I finally got my invite like 3 days ago and haven't really had the chance to give BBM Music a good run through.

This makes me feel much better about adding random people, I'm not a big fan of having a bunch of random BBM contacts either...

buckwylder Sep 17, 2011 at 6:48 pm

hey guys, can some of you please add me to bbm music, lol

27EE1588

i just want to be able to "test" it

Heavens1 Sep 17, 2011 at 7:30 pm

Thanks for putting this article together ..... it clears up lotsa stuff for me re bbm and bbm contacts and pins.

Thx again!!!!

AidenSurvival Sep 17, 2011 at 7:56 pm

Add me to BBM Music: 275A10FC

I want your music. Seriously.

theKHMERboy Sep 17, 2011 at 9:21 pm

I like the concept of bbm music and I think it can be something in the future when it is released to the public but I just wish that you can share your own music in your media file.. Hope they fix that for when bbm music is actually released to the public

birdman_36 Sep 17, 2011 at 11:18 pm

Michelle, you're cute!

RedVixen81 Sep 18, 2011 at 1:11 am

Only thing that sucks is if u delete a song you don't get your song count back for the song you deleted. Glad I only deleted 1 song

smhotstuff Sep 18, 2011 at 1:12 am

Is it possible to test bbm music properly if I have absolutely NO bbm contacts whatsoever? I recieved my invite to test today, but I don't know a single person who bbm's...no friends, family, or even casual acquaintances.

RedVixen81 Sep 18, 2011 at 2:50 am

You can if u invite people by their pin.

mcaples Sep 18, 2011 at 8:50 am

Since I delete BBM on ever BB I've had I guess I say it the way George did..."It's not you, it's me?!?.... You're giving me the 'It's not you, it's me' routine? I invented 'It's not you, it's me.' Nobody tells me it's them, not me. If it's anybody, it's me."...HA!!!

CatAlex Sep 18, 2011 at 4:14 pm

I haven't been too impressed with BBM Music for the same reasons. Plus, what's up with this limit of 50??? Lame!!

I'm hoping we get a Spotify app for Blackberry soon!!! Android and iCrap always get the new trendy stuff............ Spotify is pretty sweet on computer and a very cool social experience without 50 song limits.

joeberrymomma Sep 19, 2011 at 3:16 pm

Or Grooveshark.

alphanite Sep 18, 2011 at 11:42 pm

pin: 2812247C add me if you want to get an additional 50 songs !!! this is the way im looking at it, the more friends u have with bbm music the more songs you will have to listen to... i like the idea of bbm music because it opens your variety of songs and different types of music through shuffling your friends songs too... (e.x. i have a friend that likes Iron Maiden, ive never been a fan, but the one song he had in his list was actually really good) btw, i have the new bold 9900, if you want to check out something creepy, then check out wikitude its crazy stalkerish... lol

Belbarid Sep 19, 2011 at 7:52 am

I kind of agree here. Feel free to add my PIN to BlackBerry Music: 32FD25AE

But that being said, I've had some... less than desirable results just adding random people as a BBM contact, and probably won't keep doing that.

nasigorengpete Sep 19, 2011 at 9:50 am

I am confused which music library they're using...

ALOT of the songs I am looking for are not available but they're available on AMAZON MP3 (which is their default app for buying songs).

unick Sep 19, 2011 at 10:38 am

:)) i know that "Michelle" she's romanian

sl2389 Sep 19, 2011 at 3:06 pm

The app sounds good, but eh not for me.

I just want to say to Michelle : dudette you sound like quite the sour bitch. I get it I don't want random bbm contacts on my list either. Nevertheless you sound like one of those annoying people that enjoy bitching in general. Little piece of advice, you're not that funny, so keep your posts informative instead of bitchformative.

ciao not-bella

joeberrymomma Sep 19, 2011 at 3:14 pm

Tried the previous beta. The service is good for people who have lots of BBM contacts to invite to use the service. Otherwise you can only add 50 songs for streaming on your playlist.

Suggest that RIM uses the current BBM Friend model and adds unlimited personal streaming like Grooveshark. www.grooveshark.com
Do all that for $5 / mo. and RIM will have lots of subscribers, including me!

-----
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