Editing Last.fm (section)

===Website and desktop application redesigns (2012–2013)===  
In March 2012, Last.fm was breached by hackers, resulting in the compromise of more than 43 million user accounts.<ref name="hack">{{cite web|last1=Gallagher|first1=Sean|title=Over 40 million usernames, passwords from 2012 breach of Last.fm surface|url=https://arstechnica.com/security/2016/09/over-40-million-usernames-passwords-from-2012-breach-of-last-fm-surface/|website=Ars Technica|date=2 September 2016|access-date=24 September 2016|archive-date=23 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923062636/http://arstechnica.com/security/2016/09/over-40-million-usernames-passwords-from-2012-breach-of-last-fm-surface/|url-status=live}}</ref> The full extent of the breach, along with its connection to similar attacks against [[Tumblr]], [[LinkedIn]], and [[Myspace]] during the same timeframe, was not confirmed until August 2016.<ref name="hack"/> The passwords were protected using an outdated, [[Salt (cryptography)|unsalted]] [[MD5]] [[Cryptographic hash function|hash]].<ref name="hack"/> Last.fm informed users of the attack in June 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=Last.fm Password Security Update – Last.fm|url=http://www.last.fm/passwordsecurity|website=Last.fm|access-date=24 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926041058/http://www.last.fm/passwordsecurity|archive-date=26 September 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 14 February 2012, Last.fm announced the launch of a new beta desktop client for public testing.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.last.fm/forum/21717/_/2031829 |title=Desktop Application Beta (2012) – Feedback and Ideas – |publisher=Last.fm |access-date=7 September 2013 |archive-date=2 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502001428/http://www.last.fm/forum/21717/_/2031829 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.last.fm/group/Audioscrobbler+Beta/forum/30705/_/2031831/_/17750201 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130213122515/http://www.last.fm/group/Audioscrobbler+Beta/forum/30705/_/2031831/_/17750201 |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 February 2013 |title=Desktop Application Beta (2012) – Audioscrobbler Beta Discussions – |publisher=Last.fm |access-date=7 September 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.last.fm/group/Audioscrobbler+Beta |title=Audioscrobbler Beta – Group at |publisher=Last.fm |date=15 January 2013 |access-date=7 September 2013 |archive-date=29 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929234204/http://www.last.fm/group/Audioscrobbler+Beta |url-status=live }}</ref> The new scrobbler was subsequently released for all users on 15 January 2013.

On 12 July 2012, Last.fm announced a new website redesign that was open to public beta, inviting feedback from users participating in the testing phase.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.last.fm/group/Last.fm+July+2012+Beta |title=July 2012 Beta – Group at |publisher=Last.fm |access-date=19 April 2014 |archive-date=20 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220012831/http://www.last.fm/group/Last.fm+July+2012+Beta |url-status=live }}</ref> The redesign officially went live for all users on 2 August 2012.<ref name="changesforum">{{cite web |url=http://www.last.fm/forum/21717/_/2067262/_/18400188 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130213151418/http://www.last.fm/forum/21717/_/2067262/_/18400188 |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 February 2013 |title=Site update – Catalogue Pages – Feedback and Ideas – |publisher=Last.fm |date=2 August 2012 |access-date=7 September 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.last.fm/2012/08/03/design-changes-to-lastfm |title=Last.fm – the Blog · Design Changes to Last.fm |publisher=Blog.last.fm |access-date=7 September 2013 |archive-date=1 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130901211909/http://blog.last.fm/2012/08/03/design-changes-to-lastfm |url-status=live }}</ref> 

While technology websites received the redesign positively,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2012/07/27/last-fm-redesign |title=Last.fm gets a pretty new UI for its most important pages |publisher=VentureBeat |date=27 July 2012 |access-date=7 September 2013 |archive-date=9 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909005156/http://venturebeat.com/2012/07/27/last-fm-redesign/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://gadgetsteria.com/2012/07/27/last-fm-website-ui-refresh-shown-off-in-screenshots/ |title=Last.fm Website UI Refresh Shown Off in Screenshots. |publisher=Gadgetsteria |date=27 July 2012 |access-date=7 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120802030149/http://gadgetsteria.com/2012/07/27/last-fm-website-ui-refresh-shown-off-in-screenshots/ |archive-date=2 August 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Bryant |first=Martin |url=https://thenextweb.com/dd/2012/08/03/last-fm-rolls-out-redesigned-artist-album-and-track-pages-to-all-users/ |title=Last.fm Rolls Out Its New Design to All Users |publisher=The Next Web |date=27 July 2012 |access-date=7 September 2013 |archive-date=22 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130822041521/http://thenextweb.com/dd/2012/08/03/last-fm-rolls-out-redesigned-artist-album-and-track-pages-to-all-users/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://memeburn.com/2012/08/last-fms-new-image-heavy-and-responsive-redesign/ |title=Last.fm's new image-heavy and responsive redesign |date=3 August 2012 |publisher=memeburn |access-date=7 September 2013 |archive-date=28 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528012639/http://memeburn.com/2012/08/last-fms-new-image-heavy-and-responsive-redesign/ |url-status=live }}</ref> many users expressed dissatisfaction with the changes on the website's forum.<ref name="changesforum"/>

On 19 June 2012, Last.fm launched Last.fm Originals, a new website featuring exclusive performances and interviews with various musical artists.<ref name="originals">{{cite web|url=http://blog.last.fm/2012/06/19/lastfm-originals|title=Last.fm Originals|first=Chris|last=Price|publisher=Last.fm|date=19 June 2012|access-date=15 July 2012|archive-date=22 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622215025/http://blog.last.fm/2012/06/19/lastfm-originals|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 13 December 2012, it was announced that Last.fm would discontinue its radio service after January 2013 for subscribers in all countries except the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil.<ref name="2013change">{{cite web |url=http://www.last.fm/announcements/radio2013 |title=Radio changes to Last.fm from Tuesday 15 January 2013 – |publisher=Last.fm |date=15 January 2013 |access-date=7 September 2013 |archive-date=28 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928045940/https://www.last.fm/announcements/radio2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Bryant |first=Martin |url=https://thenextweb.com/media/2012/12/13/last-fm-to-kill-its-radio-feature-in-many-countries-next-month-making-it-a-paid-feature-in-the-us-uk-and-germany/ |title=Last.fm to Kill its Radio Feature in Many Countries Next Month |publisher=Thenextweb.com |date=13 December 2012 |access-date=7 September 2013 |archive-date=12 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130912174944/http://thenextweb.com/media/2012/12/13/last-fm-to-kill-its-radio-feature-in-many-countries-next-month-making-it-a-paid-feature-in-the-us-uk-and-germany/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, radio in the desktop client would require a subscription in the US, UK, and Germany, although the website radio would remain free in those countries.<ref name="2013change"/>