iTunes gains browser preview, UK best of 2009 awards announced

Apple has introduced iTunes Preview, a new way to share iTunes music information using a Web browser, and also announced the iTunes Best Album & Song 2009 (UK) shortlists.

The new iTunes Preview feature replaces the old behaviour of the service. In the past, whenever you sent a link to a song or album from the iTunes Store to another person, clicking that link would automatically open up iTunes - or generate a pester message urging the other party to install iTunes.

Now this doesn’t happen anymore: instead, information about the track or other item pops up in a browser window that’s entitled iTunes Preview. (Though you don’t get to listen to the track samples on the page, for that you still need iTunes). Right now this feature only works for music, but we reckon it will be extended.

Meanwhile, iTunes UK has announced the shortlists for this year’s iTunes Best Album 2009 and iTunes Best Song 2009, selected by the company’s UK editorial team. (US readers should expect a similar shortlist soon, we suspect).

In the UK competition, the winning album and song will be published in early December.  And once again with iTunes, Apple is urging music fans to use Facebook to get involved in the debate as to who the prize should go to.

Fans  can vote for their favourites among the year’s best-selling records on iTunes in the “People’s Choice” categories published on the iTunes UK Facebook page.  

iTunes Best Album 2009 shortlist - Editor’s choice

“Empire Of The Sun” - Empire Of The Sun
“Lungs” - Florence & The Machine
“West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum” - Kasabian
“La Roux” - La Roux
“Guns Don’t Kill People, Lazers Do” - Major Lazer
“Sunny Side Up” - Paolo Nutini
“Primary Colours” - The Horrrors
“The Invisible” - The Invisible
“Conditions” - The Temper Trap
“The XX” - The XX

iTunes Best Song 2009 shortlist - Editor’s choice

“My Girls” - Animal Collective
“That Golden Rule” - Biffy Clyro
“Boom Boom Pow” - Black Eyed Peas
“Bonkers” - Dizzee Rascal
“Heavy Cross” (Fred Falke Remix) - Gossip
“Tonight’s Today” - Jack Penate
“Empire State Of Mind” - Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys
“Use Somebody” - Kings Of Leon
“In For The Kill” - La Roux
“1901” - Phoenix