Neocha.com is a social networking site for Chinese creatives in which your correspondent is a partner. The site has released a new and improved version of its popular music player, NEXT.

NEXT streams songs from Neocha.com's library of user-uploaded music, one of the largest online collections of 100% original works from Chinese independent musicians. The player is fully bilingual and simple to use: just press the NEXT button to, uh...hear the next song. That's basically it.

What's new in NEXT 2.0:

• Genres - Only want to listen to Chinese indie folk, or only electronic, or only rock, or only hip-hop today? Take your pick. Now you can choose the genre of music you want to stream from NEXT.
• Random - Can't decide which genre to listen to? Then don't – just click on NEXT's "random" button for a continuous mix of tracks across all genres.
• Ratings - Absolutely love or hate a song? Let us know with one click via NEXT's 5-star rating system.

• Comments - Want to tell the world what you think, enter comments and feedback about any song directly via the NEXT player. Your comments will appear for everyone to see on the track's Neocha.com page.
• Top Ten - Based on listener feedback via the 5 star rating system, NEXT maintains a continuously updated, dynamic Top Ten list. Just click on the "top ten" button.
• Track Sharing - Want to link someone to the song your listening to? Just click NEXT's "share" button to copy a direct permalink to your clipboard, then paste it anywhere you want: Facebook, Twitter, IM, email, etc.
• Player Sharing - Want to put the NEXT player somewhere else online? Just click NEXT's "share" button for HTML code to be copied to your clipboard, then embed it anywhere you want online (blogs, spaces, forums, etc.)
• Adobe Air - Want the NEXT player to live on your computer and not only in your browser? Download NEXT as an Abobe Air program (Mac / PC compatible).
• Donate - Want to support the development of Chinese creative communities and the local independent music scene in China? Click on NEXT's "donate" button to "chip in" to improving NEXT and the concert / recording / equipment / merchandising, etc. fund for bands on Neocha.com.

NEXT 2.0 is available as:

• an Adobe Air application. Link here to download.
• a Web pop out. Link here to start the Web pop version of NEXT.
• a widget embeddable anywhere online via copy-and-paste HTML code (i.e. the version embedded in this post). Link here for the HTML code.

What's in the works for NEXT 3.0:

• Personalized playlists
• More ways to share (directly via Twitter, Fanfou, Facebook, Kaixin, etc.)
• Paid downloads / ringtones
• Mobile phones application versions (Apple iPhone / Google Android, etc.)
• Got ideas for the next release, let Neocha know at: NEXT@neocha.com

For any questions, suggestions, feedback, etc. related to Neocha.com or NEXT, please leave a comment here and Sean Leow or I will reply promptly. Or, send an email to: NEXT@neocha.com.