cowboy71 wrote:As others have said, its a social media platform. What you as a user gets out of it includes connecting with other people that like the same music you do, learning about new music as it recommends stuff based on what you listen to (eg "because you listen Magnum, you might like Thunder") etc
One of my initial draws to Last.fm was the eventual recommendations. I've definitely been introduced to a fair number of bands in this manner.
A secondary draw was the events - completely user driven, but it's a nice way to keep track of shows you've been to, as well as what's coming up. That feature is actually how my girlfriend and I actually met My one gripe with the events is with recent updates you can no longer see who is going/interested in a show, but rather only the fact that X people are going and Y people are interested or whatever. Overall not a huge loss though.
I'll continue to say that it is neat to see the statistics of what you've listened to and such. Other than that, I wouldn't say I "get" anything out of it, but if one is willing to invest a little time, you'll probably discover some new bands to enjoy!